Almost 4000 Niagara seniors were able to book their COVID-19 vaccine appointment today.
3600 residents aged 80+ were able to go online, or call, and book their appointments on Ontario's portal.
The portal has been open since 8 a.m.
Appointments can be scheduled over the phone (1-888-999-6488) or through the provincial government's website - ontario.ca/bookvaccine.
Anyone booking an appointment will be asked for information off their green Ontario Health Card, birth date, and postal code and email address or phone number.
There are about 20,000 seniors in Niagara over the age of 80 who still need to receive their shot.
Premier Doug Ford says 45,000 people booked an appointment as of noon -- and the phone system is handing 375 people a minute.
Some experienced difficulties booking an appointment. Here are some of the comments we received from residents on the booking process this morning.
"After all that waiting and entering my dad’s information, I got ‘form tampered with’, and I checked twitter and it looks like I’m not the only one. Trying again. And I’m on the phone just in case that warning comes up again. "
"My grandma tried to book hers online but as soon as it got to her birthday it wouldn’t accept it - almost as if the age was too old for the system. One of my dads clients had the same issue, both of them in their 90s."
Niagara Public Health has issued this advice:
Hey #Niagara, if you are booking your COVID-19 vaccination appointment through https://t.co/tVzCz7Fk81 and get a message saying "Form has been tampered with" this is a technical problem @ONThealth is working to resolve as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
— Niagara Region Public Health (@NRPublicHealth) March 15, 2021
Niagara's first immunization clinics will take place from Thursday March 18th - Tuesday March 23rd in Niagara Falls at the MacBain Community Centre.
When you book your appointment with the portal, you will be able to select which clinic, or date best suits you.
Niagara's second clinic will run in Welland on Wednesday March 24th - Friday March 26th, and then in Grimsby Saturday March 27th and Sunday March 28th.