Sask. parents scramble to book vaccine appointments after website issues

Saskatchewan parents spent about 45 minutes Tuesday morning in a frantic scramble to book their kids' vaccine appointments.

As of 8 a.m. CST, parents were supposed to be able to go online and schedule an appointment for their children aged five to 11, but it didn't take long before there was a problem with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) booking system. 

Many people reported the website was slow — and sometimes crashed altogether.

Around 8:30 a.m., the SHA confirmed it was having website issues and that the booking system was unavailable as of 8:10 a.m.

"We are sorry for this inconvenience and are working to fix the issue as quickly as possible," the health authority wrote in a tweet.

People trying to book by phone were also getting messages saying the booking system would not be available for another half hour.

The problem seems to have been at least partially resolved, with some parents on social media saying they successfully booked appointments.

The province said it will begin giving out shots to kids aged five to 11 on Wednesday.