The Incredible Dumbness Of The Vaccination Appointment Process

[Celerity]

My mistake was figuring that with all the dozens of sites across the state it’d be quick and easy to get an appointment. I figured wrongly.

https://thebanter.substack.com/p/the-incredible-dumbness-of-the-vaccination



by Bob Cesca

WASHINGTON, DC -- For the past 10 days, I’ve been obsessed with getting my COVID-19 vaccination. Naturally, I’m not alone. So far, according to the CDC, 23 percent of all Americans have managed to be fully vaccinated nationwide, and 3.7 million people have been vaccinated in my state alone. That’s a pretty amazing feat given how ridiculous the process has been for many of us in populated areas. Several weeks ago, I pre-registered for a vaccination through my state government’s COVID-19 website. By pre-registering, I’d enter a virtual waiting room and when my turn came up for a shot at a mass vaccination site nearby, I’d get a text message, but only after my “Phase 3” status as a healthy 49-year-old became eligible.

The big day for Maryland and Phase 3, April 5, arrived -- but only for vaccines at the various mass vaccination sites. Not the pharmacies. As of this writing, I still haven’t received the text message, but I’m sure it’ll be on the way. Eventually. At the very least, I’m on the waiting list, so it’s just a matter of time. But after a year of being isolated in place, I’m itching to get out, and the only way to do that is to get jabbed as soon as possible. More urgently, as time goes on, the odds of eventually being infected rises. So, there’s that, too. Fortunately, as of April 12, this past Monday, all vaccination sites, including the pharmacies, became available to Phase 3 people in Maryland. My mistake was figuring that with all the dozens of sites across the state -- I mean, there are three Giant pharmacies within walking distance of my apartment -- it’d be quick and easy to get an appointment.

I figured wrongly. Those of you who grew up prior to the existence of the internet remember the old days of calling Ticketmaster whenever your favorite band came to town for a show. You probably also remember calling radio stations to be “caller number 10” to win a prize. It was a frantic process of dialing, getting a busy signal, hanging up, and dialing again until you got through. The invention of the “redial” button made it faster, but it was still an intense roll of the dice, and sometimes, you’d never get through before the concert was completely sold out. That’s the best way I can describe trying to schedule a vaccine appointment. Instead of redialing, it’s reloading your browser. Over and over again. For me, the process begins with vaccinefinder.org where, based on your zip code, the site tells you which pharmacies have one of the three big vaccines in stock.

Clicking on the name of the pharmacy location on the list takes you to the official website of the store, where you have to look for the vaccination appointment link. Once there, you enter your zip code again and, ideally, you get a message telling you if there are any available appointments. The pharmacy chain Walgreen’s was probably the best in terms of not making you jump through hoops to find available appointments. One entry of your zip code and you instantly get a response without leaving the page. But that’s the exception. The worst of the batch was the Safeway website. After entering my zip code and the distance I’m willing to travel, the Safeway site spits back a list of locations. (There are so many Safeways in my area, I’d swear there was a Safeway located inside another Safeway.) Most of the locations on the list didn’t have any appointments available, but occasionally I’d get a “Limited Availability” message next to two or three.

snip


It gets worse and worse at the link

[cinematicdiversions]

1. This must be state specific.

I found Florida could easily book you in a county site the same day. Family in NM and CT also had no issues getting theirs.

[Blue_true]

5. I went to the CVS corporate website and immediately got an appointment at

a CVS that was about 5 miles from my home. No scheduling issue for me, I got in on the very first try.

[Skittles]

11. see, I just checked and there's no CVS appts within 25 miles of me

and I live in a METROPLEX

[Blue_true]

13. Maybe it is the population of the region.

My county and the four counties that surround it have around 1.2 million people in them. If you live in a metroplex in a large population state, you would certainly be competing with more people for shots.

Since you do live in a metroplex, do you have one of the FEMA mass vaccination sites nearby?

[Skittles]

18. the email blasts for appts come out in the morning (varies)

I am a night shift worker and the slots are always filled quickly before even noon

[lark]

10. In Jax, there were few vaccines available until March.

We are mainly working class and poor so Death Sentence sent us few doses. No place here had any and the process of trying to locate available appointments was horrible. Biden becomes president, signs contracts with CVS, Walmart and Publix (from our area anyway) and voila - appts. were being made and people getting shots. The state even finally got its act together in late Feb., early March and finally started calling people who'd signed up in our area. Things are now going smoothly here, even my 32 year old daughter and her husband were able to get their first shot Monday. Yay!

Now the issue is the anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers total fucking rw crazies who refuse to get vacinnated.

[cinematicdiversions]

12. I Didn't even try till they dropped it to 50 in march.

2nd shot on Monday. Bit of a hike but a well-run site (St Leo)

[jimfields33]

17. Florida was a breeze.

I didn’t even have an appointment. They were doing mass vaccinations at a closed down Sears. I stood in line. A temperature was taken. They asked if I had an appointment. I said no. Stand over there for a moment. Came back and said go in. I was out of there in less then an hour max.

[likesmountains 52]

2. My county was very easy to sign up for. Experiences are all varied. Guess I was lucky.

[BoringUsername]

3. I thought the process was crappy

But managed to get an appointment. Wasn't easy at all though.

[Kaleva]

4. Must be regional. It's pretty easy to get an appointment in Western Upper Michigan.

[elleng]

6. The MD county where I live did OK, I 'waited' for ### weeks after 'register' announcement,

and finally received appointment, a drive-thru site; had my first 1 month ago, and #2 1.5 weeks ago, so I'm almost 'there.'

[Ocelot II]

7. The procedures are apparently different everywhere.

Last edited Thu Apr 15, 2021, 09:31 PM - Edit history (1)

I had no problem booking an appointment.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. New Mexico has a one stop state wide source and it's probably

the reason it has the highest percentage of people fully immunized, as well as with one shot.

[gratuitous]

9. This is very much a local issue

I had to wait a while to clear the eligibility requirements - I wasn't old enough, I wasn't sick enough, etc. But once I was eligible and activated my registration through the state sign-up portal, I began checking for available openings at pharmacies and stores in my area. Suddenly, the second morning, I received an invitation to go to a mass vaccination site. I accepted the invitation, and was offered a 5:30 p.m. slot that day. Drove down, parked, got in line with a printout of my confirming e-mail (which I didn't need), and after showing ID got in line, got my first shot (Pfizer), and went to the waiting area for 15 minutes to make sure I didn't drop dead. After sitting for a couple of minutes, a nice young person with a tablet interface signed me up for my second shot in four weeks, and I'll go in next week.

Not just easy, but peasy.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

14. I called Monday and was able to get an appointment for the next day.

As a couple have pointed out this may be a state or local issue.

[appalachiablue]

15. The vaccinefinder.org site hasn't

been productive in my area and the CVS locations are now filled every day. So we'll keep at it. Registering for the state- run site was intricate.

[CoopersDad]

16. For California, dial 844-987-6115

None of the sites worked for me, CVS RiteAid and the state sites all just didn't work.

You would go through the steps, then be giving store locations, none of them had the vaccine or available appointments.

I finally called the number and the helper searched all counties for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and was able to make the appointment, as well.

Last Friday I drove the distance and got the damned shot and drove home.

Good luck wherever you all are!

[RobinA]

19. Here In SE Pa

it’s still pretty difficult and I think Monday the restrictions on who can get the shot go away completely for those over 16. I’m not sure how that’s going to work.

[PJMcK]

20. Sorry to hear of your troubles, Bob

Three months ago in New York, I was able to go online to the NYC Health Department to schedule an appointment. I got dose #1 a few days later. That day, their computers were down so they couldn't schedule dose #2. A week or so later, I went back to the NYC HD website and booked an appointment for 31 days after the first shot. I was in and out of that appointment in 30 minutes.

I guess some places are more difficult than others.