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Some B.C. residents waiting weeks for vaccine records to update while top doctor says backlog isn't that bad

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A day after CTV News first reported that some British Columbians were struggling to download their vaccine cards based on incomplete or incorrect records in the province’s immunization registry, more people have come forward saying they’re experiencing delays that have lasted nearly three weeks.

Janice Moore of Okanagan Falls said when she called in early September to request a paper version of her vaccine passport, she found out someone had inputted her second dose into the system incorrectly.

“Soon as I said June 10th and Moderna, there was dead silence,” Moore recalled. “And she said, that’s not what we have in our record.”

After several phone calls and a visit to the Services BC office, Moore was eventually able to have her record for dose two changed to reflect Moderna, rather than Pfizer, but said she was warned it could take four to five weeks for the provincial registry to catch up.

“They did explain why,” Moore said. “They are so far behind. So to me that indicates they’ve had a lot of problems.”

Including Moore, a dozen British Columbians have reached out to CTV News to report similar experiences and weeks-long wait times while trying to obtain their vaccine QR codes, now required to enter non-essential businesses such as restaurants and gyms.

LINK TO: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/some-b-c-residents-frustrated-by-weeks-long-wait-to-sync-vaccination-records-as-qr-codes-become-mandatory-1.5602292

Jean Stenhouse of West Vancouver said her 15-year-old daughter’s second dose, taken Aug. 1, was missing from her official record, which meant she could only download a card that read “partially vaccinated.”

Guy Davis in Vancouver wrote to say he and his wife had submitted records of their second doses, obtained in the U.K. in June, and were told verifying the records with the country of origin would take at least a month.

“We don’t understand why they are so unprepared, ill-equipped and understaffed given the forward planning that must have gone into…the implementation of the BC Vaccine Card,” Davis wrote in an email.

And Alex, also from Vancouver, who asked CTV News not to use his last name, said his second dose, which he received in early September, wasn’t showing up in his passport, though BC Services staff could see records of both jabs.

“I have done everything requested of me and I don’t understand why this error has occurred in the first place nor do I understand how it is so hard to fix,” he wrote.

When asked at a Tuesday news conference about what appeared to be a substantial backlog in processing these types of requests, B.C.’s top doctor said she was “surprised.”

“I know that there have been some (issues) that have been brought to my attention, but not a huge number,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said.

She encouraged people to “call the call centre” listed at https://immunizationrecord.gov.bc.ca and said “they can help you sort that out.”

“Early on there was a bit of a wait period. Now it’s much, much less,” Henry added, indicating those who had vaccination records in other languages might have particular difficulties and encouraged them to provide translations.

Henry also sidestepped a question about whether she could extend the deadline for using paper vaccine records until the backlog is cleared.

Meanwhile, Moore said she’ll be calling and checking diligently, and putting lunches with her friends or grandson on hold.

“It’s very frustrating and it does cause stress, which none of us need additional stress in our lives,” she said.

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