The Ontario government launched its provincial COVID-19 vaccination booking system this morning for appointments at mass immunization clinics around the province. It has been a frustrating experience for people in Simcoe Muskoka.
According to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU), as of 10:00 a.m. today, the province had not yet input all of the Simcoe Muskoka clinic locations and appointments into their booking system.
“This may result in a message to those trying to book an appointment that there are no appointments close to home,” said SMDHU via email. “The province is troubleshooting this now and aims to have this completed by end of day today.”
The health unit recommends that people try again later.
The province is also working to resolve a technical issue that results in an error message that reads, “Form has been tampered with.”
When it is operating correctly, residents who will be turning 80 or older in 2021 (born in 1941 or earlier) can make an appointment—or have someone make an appointment on their behalf—at Ontario.ca/bookvaccine.
When booking an appointment, individuals will be asked for information from their green Ontario health card, birth date, postal code, and email address and/or phone number. At the time of booking, eligible individuals will schedule their first and second vaccination appointments.
Individuals who still have a red and white health card, or who require assistance with booking, can call the Provincial Vaccine Information Line number at 1-888-999-6488 seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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I am posting this again…..as I am afraid those outside of the large metro areas are now going to the back of the line….
Every 5 years like you I get myself off to the ServiceOntario office, line up, get a number, wait to be called to the counter, and have my photo taken — the process of renewing our Health Card.
Why are we not using this system in partnership with e-Health Ontario to prioritize (they have our health records) and book every citizen’s vaccine appointment? As taxpayers, we have invested BILLIONS in these technologies!!! Where are they now? And, why are we not putting them to use?
Ford and his team are failing every one of us. My 85-year old mother called and went online to book her appointment in Simcoe Muskoka on the day they opened up and while we are very happy her friends have gotten their shots she is still to get an email or a call to tell her when she will receive hers.
This could have been oh so simple — an automated outbound call from our government vs. her trying to get through to a call centre that kept disconnecting her or attempting to bring up a website that kept crashing!
While we have been struggling through lockdowns and watching our local business shutter, Ford has had at least 8 months to figure out a booking system and test it — sorry FOLKS and FRIENDS they are proving every day they are not up to the job!
The SMDHU had a page on their website which guided area residents thru the process of booking and receiving a vaccination locally.
On monday morning, this page simply disappeared – no hyperlink to the new Ontario vaccination portal (as provided above by the Doppler), no text providing written instructions regarding the new arrangements … nothing!!
Another example of the absolute communication incompetence of the SMDHU. This pandemic is the most pressing health issue to ever confront the community that they exist to serve and they have fallen woefully short of their task.
Shame on them!!
Had zero problems with helping my parents book on the Ontario Health form. Form was well designed to make sure it wasn’t over ran with people all trying to book at the same time by means of a waiting que. there were 8,800 people in front of me when I first started and it only took about 12 minutes to process all of them. Was able to book my mom and then my dad without having to renter the waiting line. Was secure and informative and my parents were able to book together for next week. Worked very well for me.
Why were all of the locations not entered by the time people were told to book vaccines? Who was responsible for doing so?
All you should need to book, is your health card #. The government already has all the other information. The travel industry is not busy, why not get them to book. You can book any flight, anywhere, anytime, on line with no problems. I don’t think they should need to re invent the wheel for this. They had since last March to prepare for an eventual vaccine, now they can’t distribute it. The vaccine has to be invented, tested, and approved, and someone can’t figure out how to get it into arms.