Toronto residents can now book a flu shot appointment for next week at select clinics
Toronto residents can book their appointment for a flu shot at one of the city’s five mass vaccination clinics starting today.
The Doug Ford government has said that it has secured 7.6 million doses of the vaccine this year, representing an approximately 22 per cent increase from last year.
About 40 per cent of the doses will go to pharmacies with the rest set aside for primary care doctors and public health units.
Speaking with CP24 on Wednesday, Toronto’s Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vinita Dubey said that the city had an “unheard” of six reported cases of the flu last year but is expecting a significant increase this flu season due to the lifting of most public health restrictions that were in effect last fall and winter.
“Already in Ontario we've had five or six cases to date. So there's no question that we're already starting to see it here. It's already spreading,” she said. “We also know that other viruses are spreading. Many people have noted that they've gotten a cold this year where they may not have had one last year. So we certainly know that being out and about and mixing is going to spread the other viruses and will also spread the flu.”
The city has already begun offering the flu shot to under-housed individuals in shelters and drop-in facilities but appointments at its mass vaccination clinics won’t begin until next Tuesday.
As of noon there were still hundreds of available appointments listed on the city’s website for all five clinic locations next week.
The facilities are all operating on an appointment-only basis, though there is no need to produce an OHIP card to get a flu shot.
“Flu vaccine is one of those vaccines that we know you actually need to get every year as the strains of flu that circulate change. The immunity from the flu vaccine tends not to last beyond a year so you really do need to get the vaccine every year,” Dubey told CP24.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization has said that anyone who is not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can safely get that vaccine alongside the flu shot without any complications.
The city’s flu shot vaccine clinics are located at Woodbine Mall, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Cloverdale Mall, the Scarborough Town Centre and Mitchell Field Community Centre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.