Photo Credit: Aaron Sousa via Unsplash
The University’s method of combating COVID-19
Sharon Lee, The Mike Staff Writer
The University of Toronto (U of T) recently opened a new vaccination clinic located at the Exam Centre on McCaul Street. The new clinic’s opening is a step towards the university’s goal of having COVID-19 vaccination clinics on all three of its campuses.
The facility operates by appointment only, and it will follow Ontario’s vaccine priority schedule and ethical guidelines. Those who are currently receiving the vaccine at the clinic include healthcare workers and patient-facing learners. The clinic plans to later begin distributing the vaccine to members of the public over the age of 80.
Members of the University Health Network (UHN) run the downtown clinic and are receiving a generous amount of help from workers at Sinai Health and from the U of T staff of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. Health-profession students, including those from the pharmacy, nursing, and other medical fields, have also been invited to volunteer at the facility. The clinic’s pharmacy team oversees the preparation of vaccine doses, while U of T staff informs patients of what to do after receiving their vaccination.
A recent article in U of T News highlights the volunteers’ experiences of working at the downtown clinic. Upasana Saha, a senior manager at Sinai Health and Ph.D. candidate at U of T, states that the clinic’s mood is more upbeat compared to last year’s assessment centre because more information about the COVID-19 virus is now known. Susan Camm, the clinic manager and clinical team lead at U of T Health & Wellness, says that the volunteers see the importance of opening a vaccination clinic and are eager to help with giving out doses.
In a statement, U of T President Meric Gertler expressed his appreciation for members of the U of T community who volunteered to support Ontario’s plan for distributing vaccines. He states that he is, “proud to see U of T and its health-care partners working together,” in an effort to help Canada recover from the pandemic.
U of T plans to have clinics open and running on all three of its campuses as a method to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. By creating more clinics, the university hopes to serve the community and support Canada’s largest vaccine mobilization. Among U of T’s three campuses, only the clinics on the St. George and Mississauga campuses are currently open and operating. The university plans to open a third clinic on the Scarborough campus soon.
Besides the downtown vaccination clinic on the St. George campus, there are many other clinics across Toronto that are already in full operation, with additional facilities planning to open during the upcoming weeks. The locations of these clinics, including information on how to book an appointment to get vaccinated, can be found here.
