Toronto Mayor John Tory receives first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Tory receives 1st dose of AstraZeneca vaccine Mayor John Tory received his first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday morning.

TORONTO — Toronto Mayor John Tory has joined a growing list of Ontario politicians who have now received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Tory received a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine at a pharmacy on Queen Street West earlier this morning.

The mayor’s vaccination comes after Premier Doug Ford received his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday.

Ford got the shot at his local pharmacy in Etobicoke.

The premier, Tory, and Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott all received the AstraZeneca shot in an effort to suppress vaccine hesitancy following concerns about the use of the vaccine.

Last month, Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended suspending use of the AstraZeneca shot for those under the age of 55 after a small number of people who received the vaccine in other countries developed rare blood clots.

"I hope people will see, first of all it was utterly without any consequence or pain of any kind whatsoever and secondly, understand that any of the vaccines that have been approved, they wouldn't have been approved by Health Canada if they weren't safe and effective for people," Tory said after getting the shot on Saturday.

"This one was the AstraZeneca one and I'm completely confident taking it because it has been approved by our Health Canada and it has been given to millions of people around the world."

Various pharmacies and primary care physicians across the province are currently administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people 55 and older.

Health Canada, NACI, and the provincial government maintain that the shot is safe for those who are currently eligible to receive it.