Ontario Vaccination Support Council Encourages Everyone to get their Shot

(Toronto – May 4, 2021) – In response to the Government of Ontario further expanding booking eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination appointments across the province starting this week, the Ontario Vaccination Support Council (OVSC) released the following statement:

“The next weeks and months are critical as more supply is being made available. Everyone must embrace vaccines in their community,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “We need an all-hands-on deck approach to move these vaccines from freezers into arms as quickly as possible.”

“There are so many businesses, universities, colleges, associations, and labour unions who are raising their hands and bringing private sector resources to the table in support of vaccination efforts,” said James Scongack, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs & Operational Services of Bruce Power. “The sooner we are all vaccinated, the sooner people are back to work and the economy gets moving.”

“As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout ramps up, building trust and confidence is critical,” said Garrick Tiplady, Managing Director of Facebook Canada. “Connecting people and businesses with credible sources of information from health authorities is a key part of this work and the cross-industry collaboration enabled through the Ontario Vaccination Support Council is essential to support this process.”

Initiatives accomplished by the Council to date include:

• Establishing a directory of voluntary resources from members to help public health units more efficiently roll out vaccines in their jurisdiction. Visit the portal at https://www.vaccinesupportcouncil.com/.
• Funding, hosting and supporting multiple mass vaccination facilities and clinics across Ontario.
• Providing transportation support for rides to and from vaccination centers to improve accessibility.
• Addressing vaccine literacy and hesitancy through various campaigns such as #Together Again and This is Our Shot.

Founded by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the Council is co-chaired by James Scongack, Executive-Vice President of Corporate Affairs & Operational Services at Bruce Power and Garrick Tiplady, the Managing Director of Facebook Canada. To learn more about the OVSC, see Ontario Business Community Launches the COVID-19 Ontario Vaccination Support Council.

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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan, indispensable partner of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.

For more information, please contact:
Ceara Copps – Edwards
Manager, Public Affairs
cearacoppsedwards@occ.ca | Mobile: (647) 936-6734