Nearly 15,000 eligible individuals across BC managed to book a vaccine appointment yesterday, despite a large number of calls that inundated the phone lines on Monday.
According to Health Minister Adrian Dix, call centres across the province received nearly two million calls within the first two hours of operation on March 8th.
Dix noted that in BC, there are about 47,000 British Columbians over the age of 90 and 35,000 Indigenous peoples above the age of 65, but due to the influx of calls, those who are actually eligible experienced massive wait times.
Island Health managed to book 2,395 eligible individuals for their vaccine yesterday, the third most of any health authority in the province.
At the close of call centres today their were 14,949 #COVID19 vaccines booked.
VIHA – 2,395
FHA – 8,722
IHA – 2,456
VCHA – 369
NHA – 1,007— Adrian Dix (@adriandix) March 9, 2021
Fraser Health, where the majority of the confirmed cases in BC have been identified, were able to book 8,722 eligible people on the first day.
The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority ran into problems early in the day and were only able to book 369 people, according to Dix.
“VCH had some problems early in the day and we have been working with them throughout the day and will continue tomorrow to get their bookings back on track.”
The BC Government also included a few tips for those calling into the booking lines, including:
• Don’t have more than one person calling on behalf of an eligible senior.
• Remember you can call later in the week and you won’t miss your turn. All 5 call centres are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. PST, 7 days a week and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on holidays.
• If you get a busy tone or “call cannot be completed as dialed” message, please call back a few hours later or the next day.
• Wait until it’s your turn to book — if you are not eligible, you won’t be able to book an appointment.
“Thank you for your help as we work to book as many seniors as possible!”, they added.
Clinic locations across Victoria have recently been announced, with vaccinations starting as early as March 15th, and people can book their appointment by calling 1-833-348-4787.
With files from Seanna Wainman.
