WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit will be moving to a new COVID-19 vaccine booking system to include seniors 75 and older.
As the health unit finishes booked appointments residents 80 and older that have used the pre-registration process, they will be closing the pre-registration system as of 4 p.m. Saturday.
WECHU CEO Theresa Marentette says everyone who is currently pre-registered will be booked for an appointment, a second registration is not required.
“Anyone who has pre-registered, you will be called you will be booked,” she said. “So don’t worry, we have everyone still in the system that pre-registered and has not been notified yet they will be.”
The Ontario government announced Friday it will be lowering the age limit for COVID-19 vaccinations to those 75 years and older as of Monday.
“We were using our own system to schedule people because we were a bit ahead of the province,” Marentette said. “Now that with the announcement the province is also moving to 75 plus we’re going to take a good look at the scheduling system.”
She said the change in systems will not impact those looking to book appointments as they will be brought to the WECHU website and either link into the health unit’s new booking system or the provincial one.
The health unit plans to start booking vaccine appointments for those between 75 and 80 starting next week.
Marentette said there are approximately 15,000 residents in Windsor-Essex within that age range.
She said there will be a “black-out period” with no pre-registration or registration availability until there is a system in place.
The only opportunity to book an appointment after 4 p.m. Saturday for those 80 and older will be to call the health unit at 519-251-4702 until the new system is running.
