ETHP organizing mobile pop-up clinics to help ensure safe, easy vaccine access for residents of priority neighbourhoods in East Toronto

Collaborative mobile efforts deliver COVID-19 vaccines to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic

April 8, 2021 (Toronto, ON) — East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP), the Ontario Health Team (OHT) serving East Toronto, is expanding its mobile vaccination efforts to include pop-up clinics in priority neighbourhoods this week.

Five pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics are taking place in Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park from April 7 to 11, including at Flemingdon Park Shopping Centre, Masjid Darussalam Thorncliffe Mosque, Iqbal Halal Foods and lobbies and courtyards of select high-rise apartment buildings. Clinic dates and times are being promoted locally by community organizations in these neighbourhoods.

These pop-up vaccine clinics are open to residents of Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park who are 18 years of age and older. No appointment is required. However, residents must present proof of address, such as a driver's license, utility bill or another piece of ID or document that indicates they live in M4H and M3C postal codes.

We kindly ask that you do not access these pop-up vaccine clinics if you do not live in M4H and M3C postal codes. Individuals who fail to present proof of address in these neighbourhoods will be turned away to ensure there is sufficient vaccine supply for the populations these clinics are intended for.

Staffed by ETHP’s mobile vaccination team, a key pillar of ETHP’s COVID-19 Immunization Plan for East Toronto, the pop-up clinics aim to make COVID-19 vaccinations as easy and convenient as possible for residents of priority neighbourhoods.

These priority neighbourhoods have been identified by the Ontario government. They were selected based on data from ICES, as well as Michael Garron Hospital (MGH), that indicate these areas have historic and ongoing high rates of COVID-19 infection, death and severe illness.

They are organized in alignment with direction from the Ontario government, which recently announced that individuals aged 18 or over in hot spot neighbourhoods are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through mobile efforts.

The pop-up vaccine clinics are led by MGH, TNO — The Neighbourhood Organization (TNO), Flemingdon Health Centre (FHC), Health Access Thorncliffe Park (HATP) and East Toronto Family Practice Network (EasT-FPN), all of which are members of ETHP.

The clinics use MGH’s existing supply of COVID-19 vaccines, a portion of which has been allocated for mobile outreach.

“We’re thrilled for the opportunity to offer COVID-19 vaccines to our community members, many of whom are essential workers,” said Ahmed Hussein, CEO at TNO. “The locations we have selected for these pop-up vaccine clinics are natural gathering places in our community. They are spaces our residents are familiar with and live close to, and we look forward to administering vaccines to them in this safe, convenient way.”

“Ensuring COVID-19 vaccines are available to residents in places that are easy to access and close to home is key to encouraging vaccine uptake in areas that have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jen Quinlan, CEO at FHC. “We extend our gratitude to our community health ambassadors, volunteers and partners who have been working tirelessly to help build vaccine confidence and raise awareness about the clinics in our communities, so everyone who wants a vaccine may get one.”

The clinics build on existing efforts by ETHP’s mobile vaccination team. Since December, the team has been deployed to more than 90 high-risk long-term care homes, retirement homes, shelters and seniors congregate buildings across East Toronto. They have also administered vaccines at pop-up clinics at primary care offices.

In April, the team began administering vaccines on-site at select high-rise apartment buildings in Thorncliffe Park in an effort to offer residents low-barrier access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Pop-up vaccine clinics have also taken place in Taylor-Massey, led by MGH, EasT-FPN and WoodGreen Community Services.

“As our mobile teams completed vaccinations of many local long-term care homes, retirement homes and seniors’ residences near the end of March, they were keen to dive into this next phase of mobile vaccine work,” said Dr. Jeff Powis, medical director of infection prevention and control at MGH. “We recognized early on that mass immunization clinics won’t always necessarily reach the people that live in the neighbourhoods disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 and that a community-driven mobile strategy would also be needed.”

ETHP will plan more pop-up vaccine clinics in priority neighbourhoods in the coming weeks. Pop-up clinics for other priority neighbourhoods in Toronto are being planned in collaboration with public health units and community organizations within those communities.

ETHP extends a thank you to the landlords of the spaces in Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park where pop-up clinics are taking place this week, including Masjid Darussalam Thorncliffe Mosque, Flemingdon Park Shopping Centre and Iqbal Halal Foods.

About East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP)
East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP), the Ontario Health Team (OHT) serving East Toronto, is a group of more than 50 community, primary care, home care, hospital and social services organizations in East Toronto working together to create an integrated system of care across our communities. Collectively, ETHP is responsible for providing care and support to the 300,000 individuals who live in East Toronto communities, as well as an additional 75,000 clients who choose to receive health care in the local area. Clients, family members and caregivers are partners in every aspect of the development of ETHP, working together to improve the way East Toronto residents access and receive care. Visit ethp.ca to learn more.