Waterloo Region opens COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration for priority groups

Local pre-registration opens for vaccines From CTV Kitchener's Nicole Lampa: Local health units have opened pre-registration for the COVID-19 vaccine for priority groups.

KITCHENER — People in priority groups can now pre-register to get their COVID-19 vaccine in Waterloo Region.

Currently, this includes adults over the age of 80 and other groups identified under Phase One of the province's vaccination rollout plan.

The region said appointments could be available as early as this week, depending on vaccine supply.

People can pre-register online or by calling 519-575-4400. However, officials say online registration will be faster and the call centre may experience a high volume of calls.

These groups are able to pre-register:

“We are very close to celebrating completion of vaccinations in long-term care and high-risk retirement homes,” said Shirley Hilton, deputy chief of the Waterloo Region Police Service and head of the Waterloo Region Vaccine Distribution Task Force, in a news release. “As vaccinations are completed and capacity is increased, we will continue to open up vaccination to more groups as quickly as possible. Pre-registration will help us to maximize capacity and book people in as soon as possible.”

The region has administered more than 29,000 doses of the vaccine so far and more than 13,000 people have received a second dose.