The government of Ontario is launching an online vaccine booking portal on March 15th, the province’s vaccine task force has announced.
Retired General Rick Hillier told the media at a press conference on February 24th that residents who are 80 years of age and above will be able to book vaccine appointments first.
Hillier stated that health authorities are working to furiously test the portal. It’s worth noting that a telephone booking system will be launching alongside the online system.
“When we go live on March 15th with the online reservation system and the call centre, unless you’re 80 years old or acting to get a reservation for someone 80 years old or more, please do not go online, you will not be permitted to go through the system if you are not in that age bracket,” Hillier stated.
The government has provided a proposed timeline for when residents in Ontario can start accessing the online booking system:
- Ages 80 and above: March 15th
- Ages 75 and above: April 15th
- Ages 70 and above: May 1st
- Ages 65 and above: June 1st
The proposed schedule will be in place as long as the supply of vaccines remains steady. It’s also worth noting that although the booking system is expected to open for eligible people during these windows, it will likely take some time to get an appointment reserved.
Ontario is behind other provinces in launching the online booking system, as residents in Alberta and Quebec will be able to start booking appointments in the coming days.
Image credit: Flickr (Mark Burr)
