Qld vaccine booking site crashes after overwhelming demand

The state’s vaccination booking website has crashed after a surge of new invitations were sent out to those trying to get a Pfizer jab.

Queensland’s vaccination booking website has crashed after a surge of new invitations were sent out to those trying to get a Pfizer jab.

The Courier-Mail understands there had been an overwhelming demand for Pfizer appointments after the invitations were sent out to eligible people aged 16-39 years in the past 24 hours.

This has caused the desktop website to ‘time-out’ for several hours on Monday, resulting in difficulties accessing appointments.

Some access has been available through the mobile site.

Those who could make an appointment on Monday afternoon found there were no times available at the mass vaccination hub at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

It is understood the hub is under contract with the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre until the end of October.

Meanwhile, there have also been reports of a “loophole” in the online vaccination booking system.

Brisbane mother Mel Stott has told 7News she was able to use her link from Queensland Health to book on behalf of her 14-year old son Fraser Stott as a “dependent”.

She said when they arrived at the BCEC vaccination hub on Sunday and told staff her son’s age, she had to fill in extra paperwork and was told they would not be turned away.

The jab has been approved for use in all 12 to 15 year olds by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) but not by the federal government vaccine panel.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said nearly 4200 Covid-19 doses were administered at the BCEC Vaccination Hub in the past 24 hours.

That takes the total to more than 1.21 million vaccine doses administered by Queensland Health.

Ms Palaszczuk said that 136,000 extra Pfizer doses were set to arrive in the state next week and would be targeted at Brisbane’s south, Caboolture, the Gold Coast, Townsville and border communities.

“To make it easier to access vaccinations, we’re extending hours, making more appointments available, and opening new community vaccination locations,” she said.

This included trialling a mobile vaccination hub with the first stop at Inala’s Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care.

She urged that more Queenslanders still need to step forward and register for vaccination.