October 29, 2021
Dear Parent or Guardian:
Re: COVID-19 Vaccination for Children
Dr. Eileen de Villa
Medical Officer of Health
Tel: 416-338-7820
Fax: 416-392-0713
eileen.devilla@toronto.ca toronto.ca/health
Toronto Public Health is preparing to vaccinate children between the ages of 5 to 11 once the vaccine is approved for this age group and the Ministry of Health provides the vaccine. To assist us in planning, Toronto Public Health is requesting information from parents and guardians of children between the ages of 5 to 11 to help us understand parents’ intent to vaccinate their children and how they would prefer to have their children receive their COVID-19 vaccine.
As a parent or guardian of a child between the ages of 5 to 11, please complete this short survey:
https://chkmkt.com/ParentSurvey.
The survey will remain open until November 7, 2021.
Vaccination is the best protection: The COVID-19 vaccine is the best protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death. Recent local data shows that compared to people who are fully vaccinated, those who are unvaccinated are 4 times more likely to get COVID-19, 5 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 42 more likely to be admitted to ICU.
Vaccination reduces community spread of COVID-19 and receiving two doses of the vaccine will reduce the chance your child will unknowingly pass the virus to loved ones such as grandparents or friends who can get seriously ill.
Additional resources: Toronto Public Health has developed an online toolkit for parents, guardians and caregivers of children between the ages of 5 to 11. It has key information about the risks of COVID-19 infection, the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, and vaccine safety. It also provides tips on how to talk to your children about vaccination and answer their questions.
Thank you for all that you are doing to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Sincerely,
Eileen de Villa, MD, MBA, MHSc, CCFP, FRCPC Medical Officer of Health
