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‘Gentleman in Texas’ inundated with calls from Ontarians registering for COVID shots

A spokeswoman for Lambton Public Health says a news release issued had a wrong phone number
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A basket of needles containing Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine waits to be administered to patients at a COVID-19 clinic in Ottawa on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

A public health unit in southwestern Ontario is apologizing to “a gentleman in Texas” who ended up answering calls from Canadians trying to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.

A spokeswoman for Lambton Public Health says in an email that a news release issued on Tuesday had a wrong phone number for a local vaccine call centre.

Kelly Francis says the release asked people who are eligible for a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to call the centre to register.

She says the health unit was made aware on Wednesday that the calls were going to a man in Texas.

Lambton Public Health apologized to the American in a tweet on Wednesday, saying “our intent was certainly not to inundate you with our local vaccine queries.”

The unit announced Tuesday it would offer a third dose to individuals with high-risk medical conditions and residents living in long-term care, high-risk retirement homes and First Nations elder care lodges.

The Canadian Press


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