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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.