Student FAQ - UTogether2020

Last Updated: November 30, 2020
As of October 13, 2020, all in-person offerings have been moved online. Please refer to the course timetable and Quercus for additional details.
We're partnering with the Scarborough Health Network (SHN), to provide COVID-19 testing at UTSC for the coming winter months. Visit the Assessment Centre webpage to find out more.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic FAQ

All parts of the vaccination program are dependent on vaccine supply and direction from the Government of Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Health has developed a prioritization framework to show who is eligible to be vaccinated.

At the SHN UTSC vaccine clinic, individuals are eligible if they meet the following criteria:

  1. Are 12 years of age or older
  2. Live, work, or go to school in Scarborough (M1 postal codes)
  3. Received their first dose of Pfizer at least 21 days ago, or received first dose of Astrazeneca at least 12 weeks ago and would like to receive Pfizer as their second dose

Free parking is available in Lot A – view map.

Starting on the day of the pop-up clinic, tickets are provided to individuals for same-day vaccine appointments on a first come, first served basis. You will receive a ticket with a specific time slot for your appointment.

What to bring

  • ID or document with your address or proof of employment
  • Health card or government-issued ID, if you have one
  • First dose vaccination receipt, if you are able (download a copy from the Ministry’s COVID-19 Vaccination website)

Arriving for your appointment

Please arrive 10 minutes before your appointment to allow time for parking and accessing the vaccine clinic.

If you intend on coming with a visitor who is not registered to be seen at the clinic, please ask them to remain in the vehicle until you complete your visit.

Vaccination Clinic process

Please allow at least 40 minutes in your schedule to complete the process from start to finish. You can expect to spend 5 minutes in the screening area; 10-15 minutes at the registration desk; 5 minutes receiving the vaccine itself; and 15 minutes in the post-vaccination monitoring area.

Accessibility

If you require accessibility or interpretation services, please speak to the clinic staff who can help you when you arrive.

Please ensure you wear your face mask or covering, and use the washroom prior to your appointment.

It will be located on the UTSC in the Highland Hall events centre.

The campus is located at 1265 Military Trail, and is accessible by public transitWheel-Trans or by car.

The COVID-19 vaccine is indicated for active immunization to prevent symptomatic coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Please refer to the SHN FAQ for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

This clinic will administer either the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine as availability allows.

The vaccine is given as a 2-dose vaccine series. When you get your first dose of the vaccine, you will receive information about the earliest date of your 2nd dose, and information on how to book your 2nd dose appointment.

No. Although vaccination provides protection against symptomatic COVID-19 infection, vaccinated people can still get infected with COVID-19 and spread it to others. Everyone – vaccinated or not – must continue to mask, practice physical distancing and maintain hand hygiene.

While it is possible to get COVID-19 after receiving the vaccine, all of the approved vaccines have a high efficacy rate against severe disease, hospitalization, and death. To get the best protection against COVID-19, it is important you receive the second dose at the appropriate time, even if you experience mild side effects after the first dose. If you miss your second dose, schedule another appointment as soon as possible.

Yes. It is not known how long natural immunity from a COVID-19 illness lasts, so it is important to get vaccinated if you have previously had COVID-19. Please speak with your primary care provider to get more information specific to your health status.

There are concerns those vaccines will not be as effective against some of the newly identified variants. However, it is unlikely that the vaccine will be entirely ineffective against these variants.

The Scarborough COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at U of T Scarborough will be managed by SHN and the S-OHT partners, ensuring that provincial health and safety measures and protocols are in place and adhered to:

The Vaccine Clinic in the Highland Hall will be appointment-based only, and will protect the confidentiality of all personal health information. 

  • Regular cleaning and disinfection of the space, equipment will be performed by hospital staff.
  • Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by staff.
  • Everyone coming to get a vaccine will have to wear masks at all times, sanitize their hands, and follow physical distancing guidelines (i.e., 6 feet/2 metres apart).
  • The Vaccine Clinic will have a dedicated entrance and exit, separate from the rest of the Highland Hall building.

U of T will follow the province when it comes to health and safety requirements.

Vaccinations are available on the St. George and Scarborough campuses, and Peel region clinics are available to serve the UTM community. For more information, visit the U of T Vaccination page.

The following programs’ patient-facing students have been contacted by their program and referred to the vaccination clinic: clinical and counselling psychology, counselling and psychotherapy, dentistry, medicine, Master of Public Health (nutrition and dietetics), occupational therapy, social work, nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, school and clinical child psychology, speech-language pathology.

If a patient-facing student in one of these programs has not received their referral, they should contact the chair or education lead for their program.