0800 number to book jabs ‘shocking’

People in group 3 who called a new 0800 number for booking Covid-19 vaccination appointments and were wrongly told they were ineligible for the service have since been able to make appointments.

Hours after the Ministry of Health announced that people in the priority group who were yet to be invited to book a slot to get their Pfizer shots could call the dedicated vaccination line to do so, those seeking appointments were told by call takers that they were unable to get one after all.

More than a dozen residents in Wellington and the Hutt Valley said staff members on the line told them they were not yet taking bookings for the Wellington region.

A 71-year-old man from the suburb of Brooklyn described the process of trying to book a vaccine as ‘‘shocking’’ and confusing. ‘‘We’re just getting treated so badly.’’

Chas Te Runa, a spokesman for both Wellington district health boards, said the information about the different system was wrong – and people in Wellington could use the phone number to book appointments. ‘‘We apologise for this.’’ People who had been provided with the wrong information should contact the Covid Vaccination Healthline again to book their vaccine appointment.

The Covid Vaccination Healthline phone number is 0800 28 29 26. It is staffed from 8am till 8pm, seven days a week.