Today was the day parents with kids between the ages of five and 11 were able to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments in Ontario.
In the Kingston-area, some parents say they experienced wait times, and glitches that resulted in booking more than one time slot. Still, KFL&A Public Health says more than 4,100 appointments were booked Tuesday for ages 5-11 in the region.
Amanda Ross-White, a parent in the Kingston region, planned her day around the 8 am system launch, looking to secure one of the first available appointments, but she encountered some difficulty trying to book an appointment for her 9 year old son.
“I got to work early this morning so I would be able to book right when the site opened at 8 o’clock. There was a bit of a wait, which I was expecting, because I know how many parents have been waiting for this moment, so I didn’t mind the wait,” said Ross-White.
However, she says, “It wouldn’t let me book for just one child. It kept asking me for four children. So I had to put my son in four times, but I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”
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Online, a number of people took to Twitter to complain about technical glitches with the booking portal.
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Parents who reached out to Global News, but didn’t want to appear on camera, called the system confusing and “far from user-friendly.”
Local parent, Diana Venditti, said she was on the site as soon as it opened at 8am, and didn’t long to wait or trouble finding an available slot.
She did, however, experience some confusion when the system would only accept the name of one of her children
Still, she’s relieved. With active COVID-19 case numbers high in the region, and several infections detected in children, Venditti says getting her kids vaccinated will help her sleep better at night.
“Everyday I worry that there’s going to be an outbreak in the school, and there’s nothing I can do about it, so having the ability to get them vaccinated — that’s what I can do about the situation.”
KFL&A Public Health didn’t respond to a request for comment.
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