Some Toronto age groups approach 80 per cent vaccination rate as vaccine supplies set to jump

Thestar.com
June 1, 2021

Toronto’s rising wave of vaccinations has some age groups nearing 80 per cent with at least one dose, as COVID-19 vaccine shipments are set to jump again.

The city released new data Monday as Torontonians aged 80 and older started to book second-dose appointments at city clinics.

Experts say recent first-dose success needs to quickly lead to full-vaccination saturation to protect Ontarians from new virus variants and end the pandemic.

“Time to expeditiously get 1st & 2nd doses in arms,” tweeted Dr. Isaac Bogoch, a Toronto infectious diseases expert, upon news that Pfizer supplies to Canada are set to jump this week from 2 million doses per week to 2.4 million doses per week.

Canada is also getting a half-million Moderna doses this week.

As of Monday morning, 69.5 per cent of adult Torontonians had at least one injection, up from 65 per cent days earlier. Almost 194,000 doses were administered in the week that ended Sunday.

Toronto’s most heavily vaccinated demographic is aged 70 to 74, at 78.9 per cent with at least one dose. Slightly younger and slightly older people are also flirting with the 80-per-cent mark, as are those aged 20 to 24.

The biggest jump, however, was in Torontonians aged 16 to 19, after the provincial government opened general vaccination to everyone 12 or older.

Torontonians aged 80-plus are the most likely to have received both doses, at 13.4 per cent, followed closely by those aged 60 to 64. Overall only 6.4 per cent of Torontonians are fully vaccinated -- but that figure has started to climb.

Geographically, Centennial Scarborough is Toronto’s most vaccinated neighbourhood. More than 77 per cent of residents have received at least one dose.

Taylor Massey, north of Danforth Avenue and west of Victoria Park Avenue, is the least vaccinated, with just over half of residents partially or fully protected.

Last week Dr. Ana Banerji, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto, told the Star that officials must boost second-dose rates to fully protect people from highly contagious variants including B.1.617 first detected in India.

“We really need to pick up the pace for the second dose,” said Banerji, adding she would have opened second-dose appointments to all senior citizens, rather than only those aged 80-plus who became elgibile Monday.

“We remain encouraged that the situation in Toronto continues to improve, thanks to both our vaccination efforts and the stay-at-home order,” said Dr. Vinita Dubey of Toronto Public Health in an email Monday.

“While our health-care system was very recently under significant pressure, we are seeing improvement in indicators such as new hospitalizations, acute care and ICU bed capacity …

“We continue nonetheless to urge residents to practise public health measures to drive down COVID-19 cases even further, and to get vaccinated when it is their turn.”

Ontario’s stay-at-home order, imposed April 8, expires Wednesday but provincial officials said Monday that June 14 remains the target date for starting to ease lockdown restrictions on outdoor dining, non-essential retail and more.