health-equity-social-determinants-of-health, science-brief
| March 17, 2021
Mobile On-Site COVID-19 Vaccination of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities by Neighbourhood Risk in Toronto
Naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) are apartment, condo, co-op and social housing buildings that while not purpose-built for older adults, have become home to a high number of them.
In Toronto, there are 489 residential buildings that are NORCs. Of these, 256 are located in neighbourhoods with the highest cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2, and are home to 40,955 older adults 65 years of age and above, including 18,144 older adults 80 years of age and above.
Prioritizing COVID-19 vaccination by both age and neighbourhood of residence is an effective strategy to minimize deaths, morbidity, and hospitalization. Targeting people living in NORCs in high-risk neighbourhoods for early vaccination is a practical application of that strategy, which will also address barriers to vaccination in this population.
