Niagara-on-the-Lake's wellness committee has set up a phone number residents can call to get help with booking their vaccines.

Cindy Grant, chair of the committee, said the idea came to her when the province started taking bookings for people 80-plus in Niagara to get their shots.

“The thought occurred to me that there's a bunch of people in this town that don't have a computer or are nervous of it or are confused when they call the 1-800 number and have to push 1 for this and 2 for that and 4 for that, and they're at risk of getting left out, and don't know how to get a vaccine,” Grant said.

The phone line will be an “extra layer” of help for people to ensure they're able to get the vaccine if they want one, Grant said.

She said the library has also agreed to let the committee use computers to help people book their appointments, if needed.

While the service won't be offering rides, the committee will try to help connect anyone who needs a ride with local transit, which is offering free rides for anyone getting to or from a vaccine appointment, or with a local company that's offering $10 rides (Community Support Services of Niagara).

“I may not get a call, or I may be overwhelmed with calls. I think realistically I'll probably get one or two calls, if that. But I think it's it's something that is worthwhile doing.”

With some people not showing up for appointments at Toronto clinics, she suspects that could be because seniors don't have a way to get there. She hopes the phone line will help solve that potential problem in NOTL.

The hotline number is 905-246-3091.