Scarborough Vaccine Team and Scarborough Ontario Health Team community partners and volunteers continue mission to one million doses

News release: May 26, 2022

Today Scarborough Health Network (SHN) and Centennial College hosted “Vaxxed to the Max,” an event recognizing the extraordinary efforts of the Scarborough Vaccine Team, including the Scarborough Ontario Health Team (Scarborough OHT) community partners and volunteers, who collectively administered over 765,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses, contributing to Scarborough’s high vaccination rate.

In addition to administering COVID-19 vaccine doses at community, pop-up, and mobile vaccine clinics, the Team partnered with the City of Toronto on its Days of Vaxtion and Vax the East campaigns. Today, more than 80 per cent of Scarborough is fully vaccinated.

“Congratulations to the team, and thank you to Scarborough residents for rolling up your sleeves!” said Glyn Boatswain, Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing and Allied Professionals Executive.

“This extraordinary achievement comes after many months of executing a rigorous vaccination strategy involving hyperlocal pop-up clinics, a nimble mobile vaccine team, and a network of community clinics across Scarborough, including the busiest clinic in Toronto: the Scarborough COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Centennial College’s Progress Campus, which vaccinated more than 1,400 people every day at the height of its operations.”

Held in the Centennial College Student Association’s Main Events Hall at the college’s Progress Campus, “Vaxxed to the Max” featured a special video message of congratulations from Toronto Mayor John Tory, as well as remarks from Liz Buller, President and CEO, SHN, and Dr. Craig Stephenson, President and CEO, Centennial College.

“Centennial College has been serving Scarborough since 1966, so we were very proud to play our part in such a critical public health initiative”inoculating local residents against a formidable pandemic illness,” said Dr. Stephenson. “Especially when you consider that here in Scarborough, racialized and underserved communities have been disproportionately exposed to pandemic-related socio-economic disparities, the Centennial team seized the moment to do all it could to support our community.”

Scarborough’s six community vaccine clinics”Birchmount Hospital, Centenary Hospital, Centennial College, TAIBU Community Health Centre, The Hub by Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities, and Carefirst Seniors and Community Services Association”as well as several more Scarborough OHT partners, including the University of Toronto Scarborough, the Toronto Zoo, and SHN’s VaxFacts Clinic, were each presented with a certificate and special gift to mark their contributions to Scarborough’s pandemic response.

Guests also explored a pop-up exhibit featuring an official vaccine pod from the flagship clinic inside Centennial College’s Athletic and Wellness Centre.

In addition, SHN Foundation was on hand to educate guests about “Love, Scarborough,” a $100-million fundraising campaign to ensure SHN has the infrastructure and equipment to match the exceptional care and talent of the Network’s healthcare workers well into the future.

Of course, much work remains to best protect the Scarborough community and SHN hospitals from COVID-19. While Ontario’s sixth wave has peaked, the COVID-19 vaccine remains our most powerful protection against severe illness and hospitalization, yet just over half of Scarborough’s population has received their third dose booster. Fourth dose boosters are also strongly recommended for eligible individuals.

“We know that vaccines are safe and effective. By celebrating this milestone achievement, SHN and our VaxFacts team can applaud the incredible strides our communities have made to make informed decisions for themselves and their loved ones,” said Dr. Latif Murji, physician lead for VaxFacts.

Book your third or fourth dose booster now at www.scarbvaccine.ca and stay tuned as Scarborough vaccinations soar towards one million doses!