Item - 2022.HL37.3

The Board of Health:

1.  Requested the Medical Officer of Health, in partnership with Social Development, Finance and Administration, to extend the Vaccine Engagement Teams until at least December 31, 2022, and to continue to review and further extend the program as required to support the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, and submit associated expenditures to the Ministry of Health for reimbursement.

Board of Health considered Items HL37.2 and HL37.3 together.

The Medical Officer of Health gave a presentation on Response to COVID-19 - May 2022 Update and Vaccine Engagement Teams.

This report provides findings from the evaluation of the Vaccine Engagement Teams initiative, and responds to the Board of Health direction to provide recommendations for extending the successful work of Vaccine Engagement Teams in order to continue supporting the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

The Community Immunization Engagement and Mobilization Plan is a key part of the City of Toronto's COVID-19 vaccination program. It leverages community expertise and partnerships through Vaccine Engagement Teams to facilitate and promote equitable vaccine uptake across Toronto. A program evaluation of the initiative found that Vaccine Engagement Teams have been an effective strategy for increasing vaccine confidence, access, and uptake among diverse communities across Toronto.

Toronto Public Health and Social Development, Finance and Administration have identified a continued need for equity-focused outreach that prioritizes populations most impacted by COVID-19 and with lowest vaccine uptake, children under the age of five, and those who are eligible for fourth and booster doses. Given this need, and an expected seasonal increase in COVID-19 activity in the fall, there is a need to extend the Community Immunization Engagement and Mobilization Plan until at least December 31, 2022 and to continue to review and further extend the program as required to support the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

The Vaccine Engagement Team model has proven valuable in promoting uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine, and offers promise as an approach to reducing socioeconomic barriers to government services, including public health, healthcare and social services. Additional information is needed about the use of this model to support health care access outside of COVID-19 response. Toronto Public Health and Social Development, Finance and Administration will work with health and social service system partners to determine deployment options for this model in an impactful way. This work will be undertaken as part of broader recovery efforts and an update will be provided to the Board of Health in the first quarter of 2023.