It was a busy weekend for Hamilton’s COVID-19 hotline, overwhelmed by people trying to make appointments for vaccinations.
The city announced Friday that seniors aged 85 and older can begin receiving vaccines on Monday, by appointment only, at the clinic opening at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s West 5th campus.
For residents of suburban and rural communities, a series of “pop up” clinics will start operating on Wednesday at various locations.
- Winona: Saltfleet Community Centre
- Glanbrook/Mount Hope: Municipal Service Centre
- Ancaster: Ancaster Rotary Club
- Dundas: Dundas Community Centre
- Waterdown/Flamborough: Harry Howell Arena
Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccine hotline was plagued by an outage for a period of time on Saturday morning, and the city issued a statement through Twitter on Sunday, indicating “issues due to high call volumes.”
Margaret Bosnyak spent the weekend trying to get through to the hotline to make an appointment for her 85-year-old husband, and will continue trying on Monday morning.
Get weekly health news
Bosnyak says each and every time she tried on Saturday and Sunday, she was told that the system was “overloaded.”
She wonders why the City of Hamilton didn’t opt for online bookings, stressing that many 80-year-olds “know how to use a computer.”
Bosnyak adds, “Joe and I have been in isolation since last March,” and she says they are “really looking forward to the vaccine.”
She’s one of several residents who’ve indicated to CHML news that getting through to make appointments this weekend was an exercise in perseverance.
On Friday, Hamilton Public Health said residents 85 years or older, as of this calendar year, who received care at a local hospital or clinic in the past six months would be contacted directly for an appointment.
Others who are eligible for the vaccine were directed to call the hotline at 905-974-9848, and select option 7.
Vaccination roll-out is based on a prioritization framework as determined by provincial guidelines and the city has indicated a timeline for eligibility.
- third week of March for those 80 years old or older
- April 15 for those aged 75+
- May 1 for those aged 70+
- June 1 for those aged 65+
- July 1 for those 60 and older
Comments