Toronto's brand new vaccine clinic shuts down after running out of vaccine

Well, that was fast.

Toronto's highly-touted new COVID-19 immunization clinic has been ordered to close after just a single day of operations due to a shortage in vaccine supply.

"Due to further COVID-19 vaccine supply shortages announced by the Government of Canada today, the Province of Ontario has directed the City of Toronto to immediately pause its proof-of-concept Immunization Clinic at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre at the conclusion of today's appointments," announced the City on Tuesday.

Initially, the clinic was meant to run for six weeks and vaccinate as many as 250 frontline healthcare workers per day to start (already well below the facility's 2,500-dose per day capacity, but fully scaleable).

Cool! This is the vial of the first vaccine administered in our #COVID19 clinic today. To mark this momentous milestone in our ongoing fight against COVID-19, the jar will be added into the City’s artifact collection, managed by @TOHistory pic.twitter.com/XTdLaSKuDt

— City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) January 18, 2021

Just hours after opening the Metro Toronto Convention Centre as a proof-of-concept clinic on Monday, City officials announced that the program would need to be paused after only five days until more doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine could be delivered.

They made it to two days instead.

"People with scheduled appointments for tomorrow Wednesday, January 20, Thursday, January 21 and Friday, January 22 are being advised now that their appointments are cancelled," reads a release from the City of Toronto issued late Tuesday afternoon.

"The Government of Canada is responsible for obtaining the supply of COVID-19 vaccines; the Province has responsibility for distributing the vaccines and identifying priority groups established under the Province's framework," the release explains.

"Toronto is responsible for supporting the administration of the vaccine in accordance with provincial prioritization and scheduling frameworks as vaccines are provided by the Province."

City of Toronto’s proof-of-concept Immunization Clinic ordered to pause immediately due to vaccine shortage. News release: https://t.co/uU073zLvqO pic.twitter.com/a8vVODcXl1

— City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) January 19, 2021

The City says its Immunization Task Force is still working on a plan for a full, city-wide immunization clinic roll-out, and that it will continue to "work with the Province to determine next steps once vaccine supply is re-established."