Ontario’s portal for booking COVID-19 vaccines appeared to experience problems Monday morning as residents 50 and older who received their second shot at least six months ago became eligible for booster doses.
The provincial vaccine booking platform opened for appointments at 8 a.m. Many social media users in Ottawa and across the province reported a number of problems and expressed frustration with the province’s online booking system.
Some, though, reported successfully booking a third dose after several attempts or waiting more than 30 minutes.
The expanded eligibility comes as Ontario’s panel of expert advisers on COVID-19 said that the Omicron variant — first detected in the province in late November — now accounts for 21 per cent of Ontario’s COVID-19 cases.
“I strongly recommend that residents book an appointment or drop-in to a pharmacy for a third dose as soon as they become eligible,” medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches said in a statement last week.
“This along with continuing to follow public health measures will help reduce the burden on our health care system in the weeks and months ahead.”
Ottawa Public Health says additional appointments will be available to receive a third dose at the community clinics.
You can book an appointment through the Ontario government’s COVID-19 vaccination portal, by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900 and through select pharmacies and primary care settings.
The following individuals are also currently eligible for booster doses
- Health care workers
- Staff and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings (such as long-term care and retirement homes)
- Individuals who received a complete series of a viral vector vaccine (two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Janssen/Johnson and Johnson vaccine)
- First Nation, Inuit and Métis adults (16 and over) and their non-Indigenous household members.
The expanded eligibility for a third dose comes as COVID-19 cases rise in Ontario and the COVID-19 Omicron variant of concern spreads.
Ottawa Public Health said this weekend there is evidence of community transmission of the Omicron variant in a variety of settings. Officials suspect an outbreak that closed École élémentaire catholique Saint-Jean-Paul II in Stittsville is linked to the Omicron variant.
“Testing indicates that it is likely to be the Omicron variant of concern,” said the health unit in a letter to parents on Saturday.
“As a result, the entire school (staff and students) have been deemed to be a high-risk contact and must isolate immediately, regardless of vaccination status.”
As of Jan. 4, all Ontarians aged 18 and older will be eligible to receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
As of Friday, 88 per cent of Ottawa residents aged five and older had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 82 per cent had received two doses.
– WIth files from the Canadian Press
