Government says re-booking second doses going smoothly, but some seniors beg to differ
Three days into allowing Quebecers to move up their appointments for a second dose of COVID-19 vaccines, the provincial government is insisting things are going smoothly, but some are taking exception with that version of events.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said that “despite some necessary adjustments, the appointment system works well. It is indeed very successful in recognizing the people registered, as well as the nature of the vaccine received during the first appointment.”
On Monday, the province rolled out a new system that would allow some Quebecers who received their first doses to move up their appointments to an earlier date. Initially, a 16 week gap was given between doses, but with the availability of vaccines increasing, that was changed to eight weeks. As of Monday, Quebecers who are 80 or older were eligible to reschedule, with each business day that minimum age decreasing by five years.
But on Monday, several Montreal residents told CTV News they had had issues navigating the Clic Sante portal, with many others taking to social media to express their frustration with repeated error messages and other technical issues.
In their statement, the government acknowledged some issues with the portal, saying it was “most likely due to a mismatch in personal information or missing information when making the first dose appointment. Time slots are available in sufficient quantity for everyone.”
But 70-year-old Michael Ryshpan said that he, too, encountered numerous headaches in his quest to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Early on Wednesday, just after midnight, he attempted to book his new appointment but received an error message telling him he was not yet eligible.
He said he tried once more at 8 a.m. and received the same error. After trying a third time after breakfast, he encountered a new problem.
“Now, it gave me an error message saying 'We can't identify you,'” he said.
Ryshpan sent a screengrab of the error message to CTV News. The message states that “It is possible that there were identification errors during your first appointment” and Ryshpan could “go to a walk-in vaccination clinic in your area to correct your information, you will be able to receive your vaccine at the same time.”
He said he went to Decarie Square, where he received his first dose, only to once again be stymied as he was told the clinic was not taking walk-ins.
After showing a print-out of the Clic Sante error message and refusing to leave, Ryshpan was eventually given his vaccine, but said while at Decarie Square, he saw dozens of people turned away for similar reasons.
“There were other people who actually got e-mails to go to the vaccination centre to get their shots. These people were all being turned away,” he said. “I hold Clic Sante and the government totally responsible for this. I heard a lot of people complaining they were getting errors.”
In their statement, the government advises that those who continue to have difficulties booking their second shots ask a loved one for help, or head to a walk-in clinic to correct their information and get their second vaccine. Failing that, the government said there is one more option: keeping your original vaccination date, which could be months away.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.