Canberrans are reporting issues with the ACT's new online Covid vaccine booking system, but authorities say problems with the platform have already been rectified.
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ACT opposition health spokeswoman Giulia Jones said people were struggling to sign up to My Digital Health Record, which is the portal used for Covid vaccine bookings.
She said the system was not recognising some Medicare card numbers, but ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said issues with the platform had been rectified.
The ACT government's Covid vaccine booking website was updated shortly after the digital health record portal was launched early this month. The update clarified that people who hadn't visited an ACT health facility with their current Medicare card couldn't immediately sign up.
It also advised people had to enter the individual reference number on their card as well as the other 10 digits.
"We did experience some issues with people entering their Medicare number using our online booking system," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
"This has been rectified and we will continue to make improvements to the online booking system as needed."
Mrs Jones' statement comes ahead of an expected announcement this week about when the ACT's Covid vaccine rollout will be expanded to include people aged 40 to 49.
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She said many Canberrans who couldn't immediately sign up to the digital health record portal then had to wait on hold on the phone for more than two hours, which "simply isn't good enough".
Ms Stephen-Smith said "all states and territories see a spike in demand when there are cases reported across the country", and more people would this week be put on to man the ACT vaccine booking line.
"To help with wait times, I encourage people to speak to their [general practitioner] or healthcare provider about any concerns they may have before calling the booking line," she said.
An ACT government spokeswoman said: "Instructions and [frequently asked questions] about booking through [My Digital Health Record] are available on the COVID-19 website, including how to correctly enter your Medicare number and what to do if you have received a new Medicare card number."
She said people were prompted to read that information before they booked their vaccine appointment through the portal.
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