Mass vaccination clinic hosted by U of T Mississauga winds down after more than 335,000 doses

Alexandra Gillespie, vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga, celebrates the success of a Trillium Health Partners vaccine clinic that was hosted at U of T Mississauga's Recreation, Athletics, & Wellness Centre (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

The final dose has been administered at one of Peel region’s first mass vaccination clinics, marking yet another milestone in the collaborative effort to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

As vaccination rates continue to rise across Peel and community-based vaccine clinic options become more easily accessible, Trillium Health Partners (THP) and U of T Mississauga have closed the clinic that was located at U of T Mississauga’s Recreation, Athletics, & Wellness Centre.

Feelings of pride took centre stage as the clinic prepared to close July 27. At a morning huddle with clinic staff, senior leadership from THP and U of T Mississauga thanked everyone who had volunteered to serve at the clinic since it first opened in March.

“At the peak of the pandemic, we put out a call for help and hundreds of you responded,” said Simone Harrington, THP’s vaccine program lead. “I’m grateful to each and every one of you for answering this call.”

“For months, we’ve fought this together,” added Dr. Maithy Tran (BSc 2003 INNIS, PGMT 2013), site clinic lead. “It’s now time for us to step back. We’ve all done a great job and can be proud of what we’ve accomplished for the community.”

Since the clinic opened on March 1, staff have administered more than 335,000 doses.

“On behalf of UTM, I want to express my tremendous gratitude to our partners at Trillium Health Partners, and thank the vaccine clinic staff and volunteers, including our outstanding UTM staff, for making such an incredible difference in our community,” said Alexandra Gillespie, vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga. “The vaccine clinic represents an outstanding collaboration with THP and the Region of Peel.”

Complementing THP’s Mississauga Hospital J-Wing COVID-19 vaccination clinic, which launched in December 2020, the U of T Mississauga clinic opened at a critical time during the third wave of the pandemic, providing the community access to vaccines as part of Peel’s Community Mass Vaccination Plan.

After the clinic launched, staff moved quickly to deliver 2,000 doses a day, seven days a week. As supplies increased, the clinic ramped up its capacity – administering over 5,000 doses a day at its peak. As a result, the clinic was able to achieve its goal of providing first and second doses to residents well ahead of schedule.

“We are deeply grateful for UTM’s partnership and support in vaccinating the community we serve during this pandemic,” said Karli Farrow, president and CEO of THP. “Together, with the Region of Peel we were able to expedite administration of the COVID-19 vaccine, resulting in quicker community access to first and second doses, and, ultimately, protection against the virus.”

Uniquely equipped to support the COVID-19 mass vaccination campaign, U of T Mississauga not only provided an accessible facility that was easy to reach by car or public transit, but also supplied specialized freezers, typically used for scientific research, to store vaccines safely and securely. At the same time, U of T Mississauga staff shared their time and expertise to support the clinic in areas that included human resources, environmental health and safety, information technology, facilities management, site security and communications

“The University is pleased to have supported these exceptional efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of our community and usher us closer toward an end to this pandemic,” Gillespie said.

Vaccine appointments will still be available at THP’s Mississauga Hospital J-Wing clinic as THP supports the region’s transition to a longer-term approach for vaccination, which includes primary care facilities and pharmacies.