B.C. bumps up start of vaccine bookings for those 80 – 84

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) — British Columbians between 80 and 84 years old will be able to start booking vaccine appointments this week, which is one week ahead of schedule.

The province estimates there are 105,000 people in this age group.

“Anticipating the enthusiasm of all those in this age group who want an appointment for their vaccine is important — the TELUS Call Centre is ready, but to manage volume we are going to ask our seniors to work with us and space out their call for appointments,” says a statement from the province.

BC booking #covid19 vaccinations 80+ starting tomorrow
Adding a year each day. 84+ Monday, 83+ Tuesday until 80+ on Friday.
This is a week ahead of schedule.#bcpoli @NEWS1130 pic.twitter.com/wR90nS5Pye

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) March 15, 2021

To avoid jamming phone lines, booking will be staggered with the oldest eligible people being given first priority.

• Monday, March 15 at 12 p.m. those 84 and over can begin calling for an appointment
• Tuesday, March 16 at 12 p.m. those 83 and over can begin calling for an appointment
• Wednesday, March 17 at 12 p.m. those 82 and over can begin calling for an appointment
• Thursday, March 18 at 12 p.m. those 81 and over can begin calling for an appointment
• Friday, March 19 at 12 p.m. those 80 and over can begin calling for an appointment

 

The province is also repeating its advice to designate only one person to call on behalf of an eligible senior.

“There are thousands of vaccine appointments for British Columbians in this age group waiting to be booked –  everyone who wants to book an appointment, will be able to do so,” the statement says, adding phone lines are busier in the morning than in the afternoon or evening.

On Friday, Health Minister Adrian Dix shared an update on the number of people who booked appointments during the first week of Phase 2.

Health authorities booked 17,210 appointments for COVID-19 vaccines today and 85,904 this week.
Each health authority’s total for today (and this week) are:

VIHA – 4,468 (14,325)
FHA – 5,148 (32,588)
IHA – 3,214 (14,368)
VCH – 2,434 (18,245)
NHA – 1,946 (6,378)

— Adrian Dix (@adriandix) March 13, 2021

The launch of the telephone booking system on Monday, March 8. Those who are 90 or older were given first priority as well as Indigenous people over 65. However, a flood of calls and issues on TELUS’ end meant many British Columbians were dealing with busy dial tones, automated messages, and dropped calls after holding for hours. But by Thursday, the Ministry of Health reported these issues had been resolved and bookings were opened up for thise 85 and over ahead of schedule.

What phone number do I call?

Each health authority has a different phone number for booking appointments.

You are strongly advised not to call ahead of your age group, as you will not be allowed to book yet.

People who live in the Fraser Health Authority have the option to book online.

You can call yourself, or have someone call on your behalf.

Vancouver Coastal Health: 1-877-587-5767
Fraser Health: 1-855-755-2455 or book online
Interior Health: 1-877-740-7747
Island Health: 1-833-348-4787
Northern Health: 1-844-255-7555

If you have health-related questions, you should call 8-1-1.

If you have any questions about non-health related information and services related to COVID-19, you should call 1-888-COVID19 (line open 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

What information do I need when booking my appointment?

When you call, you will be asked for:

• • • First and last name
    • Date of birth
    • Postal code
    • Personal Health Number (Note: If you do not have one, you can still receive the vaccine)
    • A contact email address or phone number

You will NOT be asked for your SIN, driver’s licence number, or banking/credit card details.

An agent will arrange and confirm an appointment time and clinic location (see a full list,) and a confirmation message will be sent by email or text.

With files from Denise Wong