Ontario health minister dismisses concerns over vaccine portal that prevents multiple bookings
Ontario's Health Minister is facing criticism after suggesting parents who have difficultly booking multiple children for a COVID-19 vaccine should "simply" call a provincial vaccine hotline to resolve their issue.
Several parents of children five to 11 took to social media, on Tuesday, to highlight an issue with the provincial booking website which prevented them from registering several children for a vaccine appointment at the same time forcing families to choose separate dates and locations for the same household.
NDP MPP Catherine Fife highlighted the concerns at Queen's Park and accused the Ford government of "messing up" vaccine distribution in the province.
"I don’t know if it’s news to this government, but there are many families with more than one child," Fife said during Question Period "Why did the government not get this plan right again when they designed the vaccine portal at the very start of this process?"
Health Minister Christine Elliott immediately dismissed it as not being a "serious concern" and said parents with multiple children now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine should call the provincial booking hotline, instead of scheduling an appointment online.
"This is a problem that can be easily remedied by calling the line that one has always been able to call and making appointments for all two, three children, however many children you have," Elliott said.
"It’s not necessary to book them online for separate days. This could be done with a simple phone call."
READ MORE: What you need to know about booking a COVID-19 vaccine for your child in Ontario
Fife said the Minister's response was "flippant" and "disrespectful" to parents, some of whom, the NDP says, were forced to book appointments in separate regions for their children.
"The health minister basically admitted to designing a flawed program and if parents got frustrated, then they should just pick up the phone," Fife said.
A spokesperson for Elliott didn't provide clarity when asked by CTV News Toronto about the status of the issue but re-iterated the Minister's comments that parents could also go to a public health unit, pharmacy for multiple bookings.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.