Toronto sets new COVID-19 vaccination record, almost 75 per cent adults have first dose

Toronto hit a new vaccination record this week, administering on average 44,675 total doses a day.

Mayor John Tory said the number was an “all time high” for the city and as of Tuesday, more than 20 per cent of adults in the city are fully vaccinated with both shots of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“Just a week ago, we were at 10 per cent,” said Mayor Tory. “So we’ve improved by 10 per cent in one week. That is great progress.”

Tory added that the city is only a “few thousand doses” away from having 75 per cent of adults in the city vaccinated with one dose.

In addition, city-run clinics have gone from administering about 2/3 first doses and 1/3 second doses to about a 50-50 split of first and second doses.

“We expect that strong shift to second doses to continue,” said Tory. “We can see that this week in the rush to book appointments in our city-run clinics” with 60,000 appointments booked Monday and only 8,600 appointments remaining from the additional 30,000 that were opened Wednesday.

He said the numbers are encouraging and show that Torontonians are determined to get vaccinated.

Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa also said the numbers were “remarkable and reassuring” and urged Torontonians to keep the momentum going as the Delta variant continues to spread. She said two doses of the vaccine provide very high protection against the highly transmissible variant.

De Villa added that 57.5 per cent of those between the ages of 12 to 17 have received their first dose and encouraged those who haven’t to get the shot soon so that they can get a second shot before school reopens in September.

She said there are 20 youth-focused vaccine clinics operating in the city this week and about a dozen more planned so far for next week.

De Villa said that while youth may only receive the Pfizer vaccine, Toronto is set to receive 102,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine in the next few days and another “significant infusion” next week.

She said the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are entirely interchangeable and those who are eligible, should book their second shot as soon as possible despite which mRNA vaccine they received as a first shot.

Chief Matthew Pegg confirmed that those who booked one of the 30,000 appointments that were opened Wednesday will receive the Moderna vaccine for both first and second doses and there will not be an opportunity to change the brand administered at the clinic.