Today, Monday, March 15, I tried to make a COVID-19 vaccine booking appointment. What a frustrating, time consuming, almost Kafkaesque-like exercise this was. Here’s how it went:
* around 9:45 am I started calling the recommended phone number provided to me in the Peterborough Examiner
* I received a recorded singsong voice message, advising me to hang in there, followed by a simple 20 second jazz instrumental which repeated itself, again and again – and again); this went on for over an hour and a half
* finally someone did answer, took my name, asked for age and postal code; when delivered, I was advised I needed to call Peterborough & County Public Health directly; the (pleasant) lady offered to forward my call, but when she did there was a recorded message at that number saying they weren’t available
* I tried phoning the number many times; finally on one of the calls a different recorded answer was given: I was to call ANOTHER number!
* I promptly called the OTHER number and was advised (another recorded message, #3 by now) that “the customer you have dialled is currently not available. Please try your call again later”. I did that repeatedly, but never got through – not then, and not all of the rest of the day
* all during this I was also trying to book through the website provided by the Examiner. This was just as frustrating – and (almost) as futile
* for the first hour or two I would dutifully fill in my health card numbers (both on the front and the back) plus other info, and hit “next”
* this strange, curt message would appear: “Form has been tampered with”
* knowing I was innocent – I’m not the kind of person that tampers with forms! – I persisted. After many tries I was rewarded with another quite official form indicating, at the top, the hopeful heading, “You are eligible for a vaccination”. It then asked for more information (email address and cell phone number)
* sadly, when I complied the following came back: “Unable to book an appointment – please contact support”. What a diabolical word “support” is, as there appeared no such person or system that would do that for me
* it even delivered up one final insult; tenaciously I tried one more filling out of the “form-before-the-last-form”, and absolutely nothing happened; the system just cycled back to itself, as if to say ”well, we’ve had enough of you, so will pay no further attention to you”. It was a cruel punctuation point to a systems nightmare
* there is a happy ending to this tale. At around 3 in the afternoon, I thought I would give it one more try. By this time I was quite a pro with the forms (I had moved to a cut and paste technique with my data). The system again reminded me that I was “now in line” and that I would “need to wait for your turn”. It pushed past all the previous roadblocks (even online systems must get tired of being ornery) and I was popped into a menu which started off with “Good news..you are eligible, etc.” and where I chose my location (Peterborough, it should have been obvious by then as I had given this info in) and then a calendar, where I was to choose my time slots. With my 10 digit confirmation number I was done
- tenacity has its merits”
Postscript: On Tuesday, March 23 I lined up and, after meeting old friends inside the Evinrude Centre (Margaret Thompson greeting, Dr. Don Thompson and Dr Michael Fung manning the needles), I received my vaccine shot – given to me by Peterborough’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Rosana Pellizzari. I received the Pfizer-BIONTECH COVID-19_mRNA variety. Next one in 16 weeks. Now we’ve got to line Penny up for it shortly.
Margaret, Don and Michael.
I think that deep down inside, you are a form tamperer Ken😱
As I read your vaccination form blog it felt like horror. I’m literally shaking in my boots at what’s in store for whenever my time comes, which is beginning to feel like never. There has been little teasers that induce excitement, quickly followed by the let down blues.
I so look forward to bumping into you at The Canoe and Paddle and laughing together over silly things.
Soon I hope.
Ken, my experience was almost identical to yours – continually being rebuffed for alleged “tampering” while attempting on line registration, using two different computers. Hours of endless recorded messages trying to get through on phones while being reassured that my call was “very important” to someone. Then endless circles of “try another number”, “try later”, etc. Finally got past the “tampering” insult to be told I was eligible, only to then be told that I couldn’t be booked and needed to go on the phone again. Finally, a kind lady, live this time, did intervene and book me in. I, too, showed up in the afternoon of the 23rd of March, and got jabbed with Pfizer. Many of us got there only after a nightmare day of total frustration on the 15th – something which really ought not to have happened, given that the system designers had months in which to plan, test and develop a registration system which could have operated much more smoothly and without the glitches. This is not at all to detract from the front-line staff of volunteers who assisted folks in line, managed the intake and record-keeping, doled out the vaccines. That part was most impressive and magnificent, as was the attitude of all who attended – polite, docile, caring and willing to queue up in traditional, patient, good humour. Thanks to all!!!!!! Now on to step two.
I’m thankful I live in Newfoundland.
Had my vaccination today- April 1 – before noon! And it was so easy to register on line and then.a Public Health nurse called to make the appointment.
A very large space and all very orderly.
My experience was just the opposite. At 9am on the 1st day 75yr olds plus could book an appointment I phoned the number given in the Examiner. Waited on hold to bad music for 20 minutes and a very nice person answered the call. All she asked for was mine and my wife’s health card number. She said no spaces available in PTBO but if we would go to Havlock we could both be done the next day at 1.10 and 1.25. Also got our second time on July 13th 40 minute drive so was a no brain er.
Once we got to our appointment everything was handled so well we were in and out in 30 minutes.
I hope others have my experience.
Our experience was almost identical. It took 5 hours for Nance and I to complete an appointment booking. We both (separately) got the “tampered with..” message, and two different “phone help lines”. The last on worked, but only because the lady who answered was willing to spend the 40 minutes it’ took to maneuver the Ontario appointment system to work. To be told by the Premier that there was only a “few glitches” and that they were fixed was clearly misinformation, and that extent of that disaster is still yet to be revealed. The “self evaluation” by the Ontario government of this system insults one’s intelligence.
The regions that have ;moved most expeditiously have used appointment systems (hospital and medical practices) that work – or so it seems. Drug stores also have this capability. The Ontario system appears to continue to be lacking, and these “outside” systems seem to be saving the day.
I shudder to think of the cost of producing this system, but it is likely wrapped up in the 25% increase in public service pay package, or is part of it.
I am sympathetic with the difficultly of running the whole COVID program with all its moving parts, but the misinformation makes some of amazing things that have been done look like part of a fraud. I suspect that the Appointment System will be one of these “cabinet secrets” that will come out only when the government is ousted.
Hi Ken, I too started out on the frustration route. I tried the Ontario Health phone and on-line. Finally, in desperation, I called my doctor’s office for advice and Pam asked if it would be OK if she booked me. That was Tuesday at 10 a.m. and at 1 p.m. I got the e-mail with an appointment for 3 days later. Got the same vaccine as you. My second shot is July 16 at 12:40 p.m. I think doctors must have a hot line.
Pleased to be involved .I did not give my permission to have my photo published!
Don
There are no identifying marks and the persons mouth is closed, so it can’t be you. So PO
I loved the Kafkaesque reference!
Carol Lawless