With COVID-19 clinics set to close, Toronto wants to focus on boosting student immunization rates

With four of Toronto’s temporary COVID-19 vaccination sites set to close for good, the city is hoping to switch focus to boosting immunization rates for school-aged children. 

Provincial funding will soon run out, meaning “fixed-site” vaccination clinics at Metro Hall, Cloverdale Mall, North York Civic Centre and one near Scarborough Town Centre will close after Dec. 13, the city announced in a release Monday.

Now, Toronto Public Health (TPH) wants the province to provide funds to get school children caught up on routine vaccinations that were disrupted during the pandemic.

“We have approximately 350,000 students every year in the school system … from Kindergarten to Grade 12,” said Toronto’s Associate Medical Officer of Health Vinita Dubey.

“We know that, based on our current records, 250,000 of them are missing one or more vaccines.”

More than 2.2 million of the 8.8 million COVID-19 vaccines administered in Toronto since Jan. 2021 were given at fixed-site and mobile clinics according to the news release.

The clinics also administered vaccinations against other illnesses, like MPOX and meningococcal as needed. In a TPH board decision this week that recommended the city request funding from the province, the board said the fixed-site vaccination clinics that are now closing played a part in the catch-up effort for routine school-age vaccinations.

Getting caught up on vaccinating kids now a priority

TPH says it wants $3.8 million from the province to “address pandemic-induced immunization gaps” in its student immunization program and the province’s Immunization of School Pupils Act  through clinics, and promote the “catch-up” on vaccinations among families with school-age kids.

“Between 2019 and 2022, Ontario’s childhood vaccination programs faced disruptions due to limited in-person opportunities, the closure of school-based clinics and the redirection of public health resources,” this week’s release stated.

“TPH encourages parents and guardians to ensure their children receive up-to-date vaccines and then report their vaccination status.”

But the funding request hasn’t actually been sent to the province yet. City council will vote on Dec. 13 whether to make a formal request.

In a statement, Ontario Ministry of Health spokesperson Hannah Jensen didn’t comment on the potential funding request, but said the current funding agreement expires at the end of the year, not Dec. 13, and that the province has increased funding to TPH by 16 per cent since 2018, on top of one-time pandemic funding. 

GTA wastewater showing higher signs of COVID-19

But while the focus shifts and COVID-19 vaccination clinics go away, the virus is still sticking around. 

Wastewater testing around the province in the first two weeks of November shows traces of COVID-19 being found at the highest rates in nearly a year. For the GTA, levels haven’t been this high since January.

But Dubey says there’s no cause for concern.

“It’s actually as expected,” she said.

The increase is just the natural result of people moving inside with the colder weather — the average levels for the flu, or respiratory illness season — she said.

That’s why it’s important people keep up with their shots.

“Staying current with your COVID-19, flu, and routine vaccinations is especially crucial as we enter the respiratory illness season,” Toronto medical officer of health Dr. Eileen de Villa said in the release.

After Dec. 13, Torontonians will still be able to get COVID-19 vaccinations from pharmacies and primary care providers, and they remain fully covered by the province.

“As these clinics wind down, I want to thank every Toronto resident who did their part and got vaccinated,” Mayor Olivia Chow said in the release.