A massive COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto has broken a single-day record for the most vaccinations at 26,771 doses administered on Sunday, officials say.
“The total COVID-19 vaccine doses administered are believed to be a new world record for most one-day COVID-19 vaccinations given at a single clinic,” City of Toronto officials said in a news release late Sunday.
The clinic dubbed “Toronto Vaccine Day” saw 25,000 people book appointments to receive their shot at the arena and as a result, was on track to set a new worldwide single-day clinic record, City officials said. The clinic also took walk-ins.
The clinic has at least crushed the North American record which was previously held by a clinic at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, TX at 17,003 doses delivered.
City officials said out of the 26,711 doses administered, there were 978 first shots, with 25,793 second doses. The majority, 25,476 shots were given to adults with 1,295 youth vaccinated.
On average, immunizers administered 1,785 vaccines per hour, officials said.
The “Our Winning Shot” clinic got underway at 7 a.m. Sunday and was fully booked, though officials said there may be cancellations and urged people looking to receive a vaccine dose to regularly check the provincial booking system for possible openings.
As of mid-afternoon Sunday, at 2:21 p.m., the event already surpassed the previous Canadian record of 10,470 people vaccinated at a clinic in a single day, officials said.
By 4:58 p.m., the Scotiabank Arena clinic surpassed the previous record-holder Texas.
“What an accomplishment! Thank you to all involved in this incredible achievement. And thank you Toronto, for showing up and rolling up your sleeves to protect yourselves and our communities,” Toronto’s top doctor Dr. Eileen de Villa said.
For every 1,000 people who are vaccinated at Scotiabank Arena Sunday, a pair of Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs tickets will be given out.
Dr. Kyle Vojdani, the chief and medical director at Michael Garron Hospital’s emergency department and the event’s medical director, said there have been 30 organizations working together to create the clinic.
“I think it’s great, honestly. I think that we needed some hope, we needed something to celebrate,” he said.
“It’s been a really tough 15 months and so if we can get vaccines out in a very sort of excited way, it’s good for us. And I think right now it shows what we can do again when we work together as a city, as a community, as health organizations to get things done as quickly as possible.”
Vojdani said health teams have gained experience in organizing mass clinics and added that there are “lots of opportunities” to hold similar events in the future as long as the supply is there.
To mark Toronto Vaccine Day, the Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square will be lit in pink.