Vaccine appointment no-shows frustrate Ottawa residents, doctors

Hundreds of COVID-19 vaccination appointments go unfilled across Ottawa each day, frustrating residents who are struggling to find any open spots.

In recent weeks, anywhere between 300 and 400 appointments get classified as "no-shows" each day at the city's community clinics, according to Anthony Di Monte, who heads Ottawa's vaccine distribution plan.

That number makes up fewer than five per cent of the total number of vaccines given out daily, but those hundreds of doses could go to residents like Valerie Maier.

"I'm shocked. I'm confused. I'm finding it very difficult to understand [why] that's happening," said Maier, 60, who estimates she's spent four hours over several daystrying to book her second dose appointment.

CBC has heard from others who have been unable to find an appointment even though they are eligible.

Doctors offices also seeno-shows

Family doctors across the city and Ontario facesimilar "detrimental" effects of no-shows, according to Dr.Alykhan Abdulla, a family doctor who practises in the south Ottawa suburb of Manotick.

"It's a bit of a struggle," said Abdulla, whodoes not blame vaccine hesitancy.

"A lot of it is due, unfortunately, to the innate competition between family medicine and pharmacies."

WATCH | People aren't cancelling appointments, says doctor:

Family doctors frustrated about no-shows at second-dose appointments

3 years ago

Duration 1:15

Dr. Alykhan Abdulla, a family doctor in Manotick, says some residents arent bothering to cancel their original appointments when they find a sooner vaccine appointment elsewhere, effectively wasting appointment spots at clinics.

He said the number of no-shows can vary by clinic or area anywherefrom one in 20 slots per day, to one in five.

Unclaimed doses present challenges

Booking an earlier second dose through the provincial system will automatically cancel someone's former appointment, the Ministry of Health wrote in a statement Thursday. The province urges people to only book a single appointment for their second dose and say it's up to them to cancel any other appointments.

For the time being, doctors and nurses will continue to manage no-shows each day.

"Any unclaimed doses that do materialize are primarily offered to front-line community health-care workers seeking a second dose or to other eligible groups,"said Di Monte.

"This ensures that all unclaimed doses are reallocated and administered daily."

The city confirmed not allunclaimed doses are given the same day due to logistical challenges.Abdullasaid it's also difficult for family doctors to find same-day replacements for unused appointment slots.

"If you book an appointment ... please just accept that appointment date and time," he said.