John Tory announced this Wednesday (June 23) the launch of Toronto Youth Vaccine Engagement Strategy, a partnership between the City of Toronto and the Toronto Youth Cabinet (TYC). In a press release, the Mayor of Toronto said that since Ontario extended eligibility to residents over 12 years of age, “we’ve seen an impressive response to youth vaccination”.
But Tory recalls that there are many young people in our city who don’t have the information and opportunities they need to protect themselves against COVID-19, so he argues that the Toronto Youth Vaccine Engagement Strategy is an important partnership to address the issue and ensure that all young people and their families have the support and resources they need to access the vaccine.
A part of City’s Vaccine Engagement and Mobilization Plan, the strategy sets out to prioritize youth-targeted equity engagement and mobilization actions and encourage and enable COVID-19 vaccine uptake among vulnerable youth.
These efforts complement the SickKids/Toronto Public Health Youth Vaccine Strategy Playbook and will focus on youth living in communities that are disproportionally affected by COVID-19.
To this end, has been established a Toronto Youth Vaccination Advisory Committee (TYVAC), co-chaired by Samir Janmohamed and Nada Dali, respectively Transit Lead and Director of Policy and Advocacy of the TYC.
Both co-chairs highlight the experience that the Toronto Youth Office has developed in identifying the challenges that young people currently face in the city and how best to help them. “We know this knowledge and experience within our growing network of dedicated youth leaders will provide strong support in increasing vaccine uptake for vulnerable youth”.
As the city’s official youth advisory body, the TYC promotes youth participation in municipal affairs and policy development and is made up of youth between the ages of 13 and 24 who live, work or study in Toronto.
The Advisory Committee will work directly with Toronto Public Health Youth Vaccine Leads, the City’s Community Vaccine Engagement Teams, the Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity, the Accessibility Vaccine Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccines and other youth engagement groups to align and leverage opportunities to engage the City’s most vulnerable youth.
The Toronto Youth Vaccine Engagement Strategy will be active from June to November 2021, at which time there will be a project evaluation and assessment report.
