GTHA Mayors and Chairs encourage all residents to get fully vaccinated with the vaccine dose available

HAMILTON, ON – Today, Mayors and Chairs from the 11 largest municipal governments across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area held their regular weekly meeting to discuss the ongoing response to COVID-19 across the region.

All the GTHA municipalities continue to make excellent progress getting people vaccinated and continue to see a decline in COVID-19 case numbers.

This progress is thanks to our residents who are stepping forward to get vaccinated – first and second doses – and who have followed the public health advice to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

We are encouraged by the fact the province has indicated it may allow personal service settings to open earlier than July 2 and understand they are reviewing this daily with the health and science advisors as we move towards the beginning of Step 2 of reopening. Steadily improving vaccination numbers offer encouragement this could be considered as being consistent with safety.

As vaccine clinics across the GTHA move to offer Moderna and Pfizer vaccine interchangeably, the Mayors and Chairs encourage residents to get vaccinated with the vaccine available and offered to them and not vaccine shop. Vaccines are offered only in a way that is completely safe and decisions in this regard are made totally on the basis of available supply.

Our public health officials have been clear: Both Pfizer and Moderna brands are mRNA vaccines and are extremely effective against COVID-19 transmission.  These Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines are interchangeable, equally effective and safe for everyone over 18 years. We encourage residents who have an appointment to get vaccinated to please keep that appointment.

We need every resident to get fully vaccinated as quickly as possible to make sure we are prepared to confront the Delta variant and get on with reopening our Region.

The Mayors and Chairs also discussed the backlog created by the lengthy period during which courts have been closed and look forward to necessary provincial actions to address this."

“The decision to get vaccinated will protect yourself, your family and your friends. It will also support local businesses and contribute to the movement of returning to the things we all enjoy doing. There are a number of different places in Hamilton to book your vaccine appointment be it at a mass vaccination site, your local pharmacy, mobile pop-up clinics, family and youth-friendly clinics and community based-mobile vaccination clinics for specific populations. It is so important to get your first and second dose, completing vaccine series – it is a choice that will save lives.”

-Mayor Fred Eisenberger