EDMONTON (660 NEWS) – It appears problems with the Alberta Health Services (AHS) vaccine booking service have eased after Wednesday’s launch.
Hundreds of Albertans voiced their frustration over delays on the website, with several people saying the booking crashed minutes after it opened at 8:00 a.m.
Others reported waiting hours just to get through, some completing the questionnaire only to be booted out.
I had two different devices open to try and book for my grandparents, both showed the site crashed. The site is still not up and my grandparents got a busy singal calling 811.
— MaHoNe (@mahoneclash) February 24, 2021
AHS explaining why its site can’t handle demand for vaccinations. No one anticipated this? #ahs https://t.co/qJOb0hw9vc
— Mike Blanchard (@Blanchard_Mike) February 24, 2021
Trying to get your own immunization appointment and having the website crash is frustrating. Trying to get one for your parent and having it crash is heartbreaking. #ahs #covid19
— Laura O'Connor (@laura_o) February 24, 2021
#AHS @AHS_media perhaps this should have been a scaled approach? Those 90+ today, then 85+ and so on. I am trying to get my almost 92yo Dad who lives independently booked. What is this mess? pic.twitter.com/2hsuyYtDaA
— Barb (@BarbBAB3) February 24, 2021
Despite the delays, AHS said that as of Thursday morning, more than 90,000 Albertans successfully booked their vaccine appointments.
More than 92,000 Albertans 75 & over have booked their appointments to be immunized against COVID-19. Appointments are available in all five AHS Zones. If you're 75 & over, you can book your appointment by calling 811 or through the online booking tool: https://t.co/x8IgPSi2Ga pic.twitter.com/UfUPnkbDfl
— Alberta Health Services (@AHS_media) February 25, 2021
Health Minister Tyler Shandro addressed the delays Wednesday afternoon, assuring Albertans that AHS is working hard to make sure those who want to book a vaccine appointment, can.
“AHS has, for many weeks, been able to bolster the infrastructure, the staffing capacity at 811 to be able to help with this as well as the infrastructure included for the telephone system and online.”
Shandro said Alberta is expected to receive up to 55,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine per week to help with the demand.
“Now that we have an allotment table from the federal government that provides us with some predictability and stability in the coming four to five weeks, that’s great news for us to start having these appointments booked.”
Vaccine appointments are still available through the AHS website or contacting Health Link at 811.
