Source
r/ottawa•
kanaedianbaekon

Follow-up on AZ for 40+ in Ottawa

Posting here to possibly help those that were as confused as I was last night. I was lucky enough to get an appointment at a west end Shopper's drugmart for Friday. I am a mid 40s individual with professional and personal needs to visit public places in and out of OPH, including CHEO, but would not claim I am "essential".

You can get a list of pharmacies offering vaccines by entering your postal code on this site:

https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations

I spent about an hour registering via online tools for those that support it:

  • Shoppers - one form for all locations
  • Rexall - one form for each location
  • Costco - one form for each location
  • IDA - one form for each location

Many of the sites still referenced the need to be 55+ but accepted a 40+ on waitlist. Most took a cell phone number and would contact you via text message.

I was not successful in registering at:

  • Walmart - no appointments available and seemingly no online waitlist
  • Stittsville Whole Health - online requires a code, no answering phones, voicemail full
  • Hazeldean Pharmacy - no vaccines left

Note, many have referred to this search tool, but even with 100km radius, I could not find a single appointment. Clearly, it doesn't reflect the actuality as I was booked into an appointment after searching. https://vaccinefinder-a8468.firebaseapp.com/

Posted Apr 19, 2021, 7:41 PM UTC

4625
AllGivenOut•

This morning WalMart had no appointments, then around 8:30/9 a bunch came online - header says 55+ but once u go in u have to enter birthday and it accepts 40+.

16
TaterCup•

I have heard that the way WalMart works is that when there is a cancellation, the appointment becomes available. No waiting list. Just keep hitting refresh or coming back to the site frequently. In other words, keep pulling the arm, and eventually you will hit the jackpot.

3
whyyoutwofour•

Everyone I know who had success today either called or visited smaller pharmacies.

Apparently the Walmart site sometimes doesn't work on cellphones or needs to be viewed in incognito mode because it doesn't refresh well according to Vax hunters twitter

Edit: also worth noting the only contact I've gotten from a bunch of the waitlists was Pharmasave with Bank St Pharmacy....they sent me a booking link after I had already tracked down an apt over the fun so I declined the option.

6
ljdub_can•

Booked through family doctor’s office. They emailed their patients that they have shots and will set up appointments.

5
mgov999•

This is how we got our appointments. My husband just went to the nearby shopper’s and booked us for Friday.

5
[deleted]•

[deleted]

0
whyyoutwofour•

Patience your opportunity will come. I didn't think there was any way I was getting it before June

2
rhymeswithorangey•

Partner went to pick up prescriptions yesterday at Shoppers in Orleans, was able to book his first shot today. And at today’s appointment he booked mine for Saturday morning. It really helps to go in and ask, rather than sign up for the waitlist.

6
k_is_for_kwality•

Your experience sounds exactly like mine. Walmart, Costco, Shoppers/Loblaws, I signed up for a bunch of waiting lists. Called the same smaller pharmacies that everyone referenced, same results - many full voice mail boxes, got that one that needed a doctor referral code, and at one pharmacy I spoke to a friendly (and surprisingly calm) lady who said I needed to register online.

I’m kicking myself because I was awake at 5am, had I thought to check the websites I might have been heading to Costco this week.

Keep trying. The way I see it, people have registered themselves onto 5, 10, 20 different lists, and once they finally get an appointment, they’ll drop off of all of those lists. Or they’ll get an appointment for say early May, then discover they can get another appointment sooner, and cancel the first one.

This is a headache of a system. Buying a Nintendo Switch was easier than this.

6
TaterCup•

You are bang on. But even though it is harder than buying a Switch (or a Cabbage Patch Kid in 1984), it is so much more important, so invest all the time and energy you have spare into it.

4
Flyboy78AA•

For what it's worth, I had registered with Shoppers.

When they did contact me via txt message, it was at 11:58PM. Both to register and to fill in forms. There weren't many slots and I got one.

So BOLO at that time.

3
theletterqwerty•

I got a pile of one-time use codes around midnight, which was about 12 hours after I'd tried to book the appointment and about an hour after I'd gone to sleep. So that was cool.

2
theletterqwerty•

Shoppers' texting system was down when I tried it.

Can confirm Walmart said they were out and had no waitlist, plus they only let you check one store at a time so it takes ages

The rexall site does work, but it's inconsistent so if it's not working for you just f5 and try again

2
angrycrankHintonburg•

Friends have had success at Westboro pharmasave, West Carleton pharmasave, and HybridPharm. Who knows if any of them still have spots.

2
fidlestixs•

So when you book a vaccine appointment where the pharmacy is in the store (Walmart, Costco) do you need to wait in line to get in for you appts because of limited capacity?

2
Whiskywhiz•

Costco addresses this on their answering machine when you call the pharmacy. You do not need to wait in line. Tell the employees at the door that you have a vaccine appointment and someone will escort you to the pharmacy. I assume this is the case at Walmart too but don't quote me on that.

7
kanaedianbaekonOP•

Following up. My appt was at Shoppers, and there was a separate lineup for those getting vaccination. It was a well run operation, it seemed that they were doing about 6 people per 15 minute time slot. Totally painless (except the needle of course). Good luck to you.

2
kanaedianbaekonOP•

Not sure yet. Will let you know when I get the shot on Friday. I suspect yes, you'd probably want to account for waiting in line.

4
AlfredRWallace•

Wondering this too.

2
Ottawa_Lights•

I just got an appointment at the Walmart on Riverside Drive for later this evening.

2
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
Ottawa_Lights•

Yes indeed!

2
Ottawa_Lights•

Update: I get there, and the guy tells me my appointment is the result of a system error and that he can’t give me the vaccine. He also tells me that he can’t give me another appointment. This went from hero to zero real quick!

3
spacedoubt69•

What a letdown. So sorry to hear that.

1
sflynn75New Edinburgh•

Here's my situation:

  • I was on waitlists for like 20 different pharmacies (rexalls, pharmasaves, IDA, Shoppers/PC/Loblaws, Sobeys)
  • Kept calling multiple pharmacy leads from vaxhunterscan...consistently busy (plus I had meetings and whatnot)
  • Then Sobeys Kanata released a bunch of spots Friday from 1100-1800 as I hit refresh on their search portal...tried 1400...nothing...1515...nothing...1545...nothing...1715...bingo!
  • Of course, I was on the waitlist for Sobeys...never got notified of these slots.
2
Compkriss•

Same here, I haven’t had any notifications from anyone but I managed to snag a 5:30 slot at Sobeys in Kanata.

1