Any system for vaccine distribution that relies on people making appointments

[rzemanfl]

is vulnerable to manipulation via political machinations, favoritism, cronyism, and outright bribery. In addition, any system that favors people who can make their own schedules, have reliable vehicles to make trips to where vaccine is available, computers, internet access, and cell phones is inherently inequitable. I think I have just described everything that is wrong with the current "system" in Florida.

What are things like in your state? Do you agree the federal government should step in and bring the vaccine to people rather than having the system rigged in favor of people who can travel to the vaccine, wherever it might be? Are you as pissed as I am?


ON EDIT-Please say where you are in responses.

[Walleye]

1. Yes. Just give everybody the shot God dammit. I'm sure we could figure it out

[Fresh_Start]

2. they are asking senior citizens to enroll online by me

which is great for those who can...but there are MANY senior citizens who aren't online.

[rzemanfl]

3. Can I ask where you are? n/t

[Fresh_Start]

37. san francisco bay area nt

nt

[rzemanfl]

40. Thanks. n/t

[Fresh_Start]

43. that is why my county was doing...

it looks like individual health plans intend to call out to their subscribers? to inform and hopefully schedule

[dawg day]

4. In my state, you can get an appt online by dialing 211--

No idea how long you'll be on hold, of course!

[rzemanfl]

6. What state? n/t

[dawg day]

35. Indiana

The apps at this point seem to be at the hospitals, and you can choose which you want to go to.

[rzemanfl]

41. Thanks. n/t

[CountAllVotes]

15. +1

n/t

[ShazzieB]

66. I live in the Chicago area, and that's happening here as well.

My husband and I signed up onlne to be on a list to be notified by the county health dept. when they are ready to start making appointments for group 1b. Lord knows when that will actually happen.

[rzemanfl]

69. Thank you for posting. Good luck. n/t

[KewlKat]

71. IL was supposed to start 1b today. I'm watching fir my family there.

[getagrip_already]

5. Well, at least one state threw out the federal guidelines and went to a local model...

And they are WAY out in front of other states in getting their allocations used up. So yeah, FL is a politically corrupt example of why states shouldn't have absolute control, but W VA is a good example of why they should.

Prosecute desantis for corruption in the distribution process and take them down one by one.

[rzemanfl]

7. Is there a good place to find out what West Virginia did? n/t

[getagrip_already]

8. lots of google links..

here is one from nyt...

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/24/us/west-virginia-vaccine.html

[rzemanfl]

11. GMTA.

West Virginia is a small state.

[rzemanfl]

9. Calling 700 times doesn't seem all that efficient to me-

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/24/us/west-virginia-vaccine.html

[Chakaconcarne]

10. Things are going as well as they could, IMO.

I don't think the system is "rigged" and we ARE starting out with a Federal Plan that did not exist. Right now the goal is to get as many people vaccinated as soon as possible and high densities of mobile populous is naturally where to start.

The cold storage component is a big factor as to where the vaccine can be given. It has to move from deep freeze, to refrigerator to room temperature. Appointments can help to estimate allocation of doses - specially in areas far from storage, so there is minimal waste and also for tracking 2nd dose? There are a lot of logistical components to this and each state is figuring it out as they go.

[rzemanfl]

14. Here's the thing in Florida. I live in the most densely populated county in the state.

People I know are driving to places in smaller counties that are 40 to 60 miles away for their shots. Other people in Florida are traveling more than 100 miles according to posts on DU.

[littlebit]

12. I am in Amarillo TX.

The health dept here has a walk in clinic they do Monday thru Saturday at the Civic Center if they have vaccine available. If you are in group 1a or 1b you just show up and wait in line. I am in group 1b. I went there about three weeks ago and got my first shot. It took about an hour for the whole process.

[rzemanfl]

17. Thank you for your response. Glad you got the shot. n/t

[crazylikafox]

13. I'm over 70 retired with a computer, vehicle and unlimited free time.

I can’t get an appointment.
At this point, I don’t think anything matters til they get more vaccine. OTOH Bribery might help but I don’t know who to send the money to.

I’m in Maryland.

[rzemanfl]

19. Thanks for your response. Good luck. I too, have unlimited time; patience, not so much. n/t

[Hermit-The-Prog]

16. Rumor in Kentucky is that there will be 'drive through' vaccinations someday this spring.

My son and his wife received their first "Fauci ouchy" in a local school building, as each is employed by the school system. There were far too many people in the building at the time, even though all were masked. All of the paper work could have been done beforehand and only 1 or 2 people would then have been needed to collect the paper and administer the vaccination. There is no word regarding when their children will be vaccinated.

[rzemanfl]

20. Thanks for replying. Our governor doesn't think teachers need shots ahead of old folks.

He is a world class asshole.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

27. We had a governor on the same level as yours -- Matt Bevin, but now have Andy Beshear.

We have the full range of Repugs in our state legislature.

It's about 80% Russiapublicans where I live. Nearly 100% think covid is just a form of 'flu. I'm just going to continue to hunker down and wait.

[rzemanfl]

29. I am sick of hunkering down. For the first time since moving here in 1996

I have no visible tan lines. I used to swim 3 or 4 miles a week. Now I drive 3 or 4 miles a week.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

47. Hang in there. We will get through this.

[Turin_C3PO]

18. I'm not sure

how things are going here in NM. I have cystic fibrosis, high blood pressure, and diabetes and haven’t been able to get a vaccine yet despite being on a government waiting list.

[littlebit]

21. If you are anywhere close to Amarillo

and can get there you can get one. You just have to check and make sure they have the vaccine that day. The process is very easy. You just have to show up.

[Turin_C3PO]

22. Wow, thanks for the info!

I’m not that close but would be willing to make the trip if I could guarantee that they would hold one for the day until I get there.

[littlebit]

24. It is first come first serve.

Just keep checking the health dept covid website to see when they have it. They are really good about keeping it updated.

[Turin_C3PO]

30. Thank you!

[Maeve]

23. Ohio--I registered my 89 yr old mom on-line with the county (they haven't called back)

But then she got a call from a relative who made an appointment thru a back-channel (another relative) and so Mom got her first shot and is scheduled for the second in February. Who you know...

Hubby has been helping some clients make reservations, but it is difficult and haphazard. My doctor's network will be setting up appointments and letting me know via e-mail when I can register.

Letting people who hate the idea of government into the actual government was probably a mistake
And yeah, I'm pissed off.

[rzemanfl]

26. I can certainly understand back-channels. Thanks for responding.

I'm glad your mother got her first shot.

[Maeve]

58. Addendum--she did get a call from the county board of health today

Someone else moves up in the queue now.

One note--the back channels are sometimes good--once you start that vial, you need to have arms ready for it and that may call for getting the willing there soonest.

[rzemanfl]

74. That's good news 4U. n/t

[RussBLib]

25. pathetic here in south Texas

they just dribble out the vaccine doses in very small quantities to our county (Cameron), and then make us jump like trained seals for them. I exaggerate, but they do allow online registration at UTRGV (University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley). Currently, there are over 50,000 people on the Waitlist.

Or, like last week, my city announced that a very limited number of doses (200) were available only for citizens of our city who met the 1A or 1B criteria. By the time I saw the announcement, all shots were reserved.

And on and on....

They SAY that CVS MIGHT have some doses in the future. C'mon! Bark like a seal!

[rzemanfl]

28. Pinellas County, FL has over 243,000 people over 65. We are two of them.

Thanks for your reply. Good luck.

[mackdaddy]

31. Newark, Ohio. Assisted living group administerd hundreds of doses to their Residents.

About 5 nursing home facilities used their Pharmacy contractor to administer the doses. 100 residents in my mom's facility plus they used buses to bring in residents from the other facilities. First Phizer dose administered on Jan 15th.
This group has been very proactive about locking down their facilities, but they have still had a few cases.

Unfortunately my mom was exposed to another resident 3 days after she got the shot, and has now tested positive and is in a covid ward. She is doing very well for 87, but it is day by day. Maybe the vaccine has given her a bit of a head start, but damn the timing.

Here in small rural Hocking county, The health department does not know when there will be general vaccinations.

[rzemanfl]

32. I hope things work out for your mother. n/t

[Hekate]

33. It's been shoved down to the county level afaict...

I’m in Ventura County, California. I can actually straddle two counties because most of my docs are still affiliated with one clinic where I used to live. So if the clinic posts to My Chart and if I see it I can attempt to get an appointment.

In Ventura, there’s the Fairgrounds and a bunch of labs and pharmacies inside grocery stores. As far as I can tell each one has to be phoned individually.

But there are no vaccines for people under 75 who are not medical workers. DH and I are “only” 73. So my searches are useless. The governor can say over-65s are eligible all he wants, but if there’s insufficient vaccine, we are still in severe rationing mode.

Los Angeles is our gigantic neighbor (10 million) to the south of us, and since I get the Times I get to read about the scale of their travails. At least two of their columnists, Steve Lopez and George Skelton, are logging their own & others’ experiences from the POV of their usual beats. It ain’t good.

[rzemanfl]

34. Good luck. Thanks for your reply. n/t

[PufPuf23]

36. I am scheduled for the first shot of the Moderna vaccine at

10 AM January 27 at a Indian Health Services clinic about two miles from my home (in what is an extremely rural and low population area). I am not Native American but a born and raised here local and the IHS are providers for non-NA residents of their coverage.

So I have regular interaction plus I am a multiple cancer patient and travel about two hours for most treatments and on a regular basis. So medical problems and age 68 put me higher in priority.

Here is how it worked. I take a number of meds that are delivered by a courier to the clinic and they call me when in. So the office manager (good person) asks me if I am going to want a cv19 vaccine when available and I answer "of course". Then several days later (two weeks or so ago) get a call from a woman who I do not know going down a list of priority for the vaccine, mostly elders and ill, and schedules me for January 28 at 10 AM. Then Friday got another call moving that time up to January 27 at 10 AM. The 2nd shot is scheduled for two weeks into February and would need to look for specific time.

Indian Health Service is a good but not perfect model of a public medical system (which may be my point). At the present I find IHS a highly supportive institution.

[AmBlue]

38. In Florida...

... You have to set an appointment online. At first Publix pharmacies were offering vaccines but only in the reddest of the red counties-- likely because we have a very red governor.

It is more widely available now, but the locations are not always convenient. Right now my husband is trying to get a vaccine and every location available is 30 minutes to an hour away from where we live.

[rzemanfl]

39. There is also the matter of the $100K Publix gave DeSatan's campaign.

I was under the impression Publix was not offering appointments again until 6 a.m. on Wednesday, but that might be local information.

The nearest location to me is about 40 miles away over heavily traveled roads. Thanks for responding and good luck.

[AmBlue]

57. I did not know about the $100K

Disgusting.

We pretty much gave up on Publix for vaccine and are going with the county website.

[nolabear]

42. WA is really weird. Some sites are great, some not, w/ no help.

I was delighted to get my first Moderna shot last week at a drive thru. Went beautifully, but they let me know I need to book my own second vaccine. Now that site is closed and there are no instructions on how to get the second. I have to wait because even online they won’t book until you’re two weeks out from the first. All kinds of info from various places but I could REALLY use something more official.

Inslee is usually all over this stuff.

[rzemanfl]

45. Thanks for your response and good luck. n/t

[seleff]

56. Got mine at Fred Hutch Sunday

Pretty smooth operation, in and out with an appointment for my second dose in less than an hour. Scheduling online took a little hunting. I'm 65 so I just became 1b1 on MLK day. I saw many more senior than me accompanied by what appeared to be younger family members that may have helped them schedule. My guess is they had enough help to process 50-75 clients /hour

[rzemanfl]

59. What state? n/t

[Iggo]

46. We've spent 4 days trying to get an appointment...

...for a 90 year old Korean War veteran and cancer survivor who breathes through a hole in his neck.

This appointment shit is fucking bullshit.

Give him the goddam shot!

[rzemanfl]

50. Good luck there in Southern California. n/t

[beaglelover]

48. We're in Los Angeles. My husband is over 65 and the website you are supposed to use to schedule

a vaccine appointment does not work. We got wind of vaccine's being available at the pharmacy inside a Ralph's supermarket close by so he went over there and they were out of the vaccine already. They said their website may be updated in a few days so it will accept appointments for the next time they get the vaccine. They weren't sure when that would be. This vaccine rollout has been a complete failure, IMO, and Joe better get on top of it quick!

[Mr.Bill]

49. I'm in a small town 100 miles north of San Francisco.

The hospital clinic where my primary care doctor works called me. My doctor saw to it that I was on a list. It took no action on my part except to say "Okay". I won't have to wait in line very long, if at all. It's a drive thru. I'm scheduled for Saturday. They also set the appointment for the second shot.

My daughter is the vaccine coordinator at the hospital we use. I asked for and got no special treatment.

Our public health dept. is also doing vaccine shots. I assume you have to call them for an appointment.

[rzemanfl]

51. Glad to hear that. n/t

[phylny]

52. I'm in rural Virginia.

As I was at the doctor's office for my second shingles vaccine, I was handed a slip of paper to make an appointment for the Covid vaccine. It took 34 calls to get through, but I got appointments for my husband and me for February 8th and March 8th. This was open to Centra patients in our area.

I happened upon it because I had an appointment. I had also signed up with the Virginia Department of Health to be informed when a vaccine would be available for me and had not heard from them.

[rzemanfl]

54. Interesting. Good for you. n/t

[brooklynite]

53. How do you imagine the Federal Government would "bring the vaccine to people"?

Without reservations, people will join hour-long lines; that biases the system towards people who have the free time to wait.

NYS has horrendous booking software, but the issue isn't that people are cheating, its that they're learning about available slots from a friend or family member.

[rzemanfl]

55. A start would by stopping Republican governors from favoring red areas and punishing blue areas

when vaccine is distributed. It should be shipped to where the people who need it live, whether the Governor likes it or not. There has to be a better system of scheduling appointments than periodic stampedes on the Internet for a small number of available doses.

Having the free time to drive 100 miles to and from appointments is less biased than standing in line? How do these friends or family members learn about available slots?

[ariadne0614]

60. Thanks for starting this thread.

After reading the experiences of others, I got curious to know more about what I need to do. Until now, I've been in wait-and-see mode. I'm in Wisconsin, and am registered with the Aurora system. According to their website, they will be contacting all of their patients as we become eligible, and the vaccine is available. The website seems user-friendly, and the COVID-19 FAQ screen was informative. For the time being, I'll continue to hunker down and wait till they contact me. Here's the link to Aurora's website: https://www.aurorahealthcare.org/

[rzemanfl]

65. Thanks for making my thread your 900th post. n/t

[ariadne0614]

70. Auspicious!!!

I hadn't noticed till you brought it to my attention.

[SharonClark]

61. Polk County (Des Moines) Iowa

It’s a mess here, too, and I blame Trump and Gov Reynolds for having no plan for vaccine distribution.

Reynolds announced that 65+ are eligible as if today and within hours of that announcement last Thursday, all the vaccine appointments were filled.

Now if seems like a free for all, and most appointments have to be made online thru providers like the Dept of Health or the many local HyVee stores. Neither is taking appointments because there is no vaccine available. The DofH said they would take appointments for the week of Feb 1 at noon on Friday, and so it goes.

Some people scheduled appointments thru word of mouth like my BIL who drove to his local Medicap pharmacy. They told him they have vaccine but he had to go online to make an appointment. No one had reported that Medicap even had the vaccine.

People are very frustrated. Rightly so.

[rzemanfl]

63. Good luck. Thanks for your reply. n/t

[misanthrope]

62. I am in Alabama and it is a cluster f**k

I am a 57 year old with COPD (about the highest risk co-morbidity you could have) and I don't anticipate being able to get one for months now.

Things here are haphazard. You have to make appointments for the few vaccines available and we have barely moved on from top priority recipients. That is completely in line with our state's standard care for its citizens. Our malfeasance and corruption is legendary.

Should the federal government step in? Undoubtedly. Without the federal government, Alabama would likely look much like it did in the 1920s. Every egalitarian or just measure taken in this state usually comes from beyond its borders.

[rzemanfl]

64. Good luck. Thanks for your reply. n/t

[photokath]

67. yes, we have registered with

3, no 4 places to get the vaccine. The 2 local health departments. the hospital and Meijers in our area and nothing yet. I have Cerebral Palsy, asthma, and a few other health problems. My husband has had a 4 bypass, has kidney problems and prostate cancer and we are both very over 65 and we can't get it yet!

[rzemanfl]

68. May I ask what state you're in?

Good luck. I find myself wondering if I am "very over 65" yet. (I'm 73).

[Meowmee]

72. In NY

No sign of vaccines for myself high risk younger or my father yet. Meanwhile some essential hcw etc are refusing it and vaccines are being thrown out. I have more to say but will write it later. Worst vaccine effort I have seen. When I went to get my flu shot this year on appointment my doc office told me they had none left when I arrived so they obviously gave it to someone else. Friends of coworkers, coworkers most likely or someone who was allowed to jump the line. That was the second time they did that to me in a few years. I went to a walk in clinic then that had flu shots. Medicine was already in a crap state before this and now it’s even worse of course.

People who are high risk and or older should be getting shots first imo.

[rzemanfl]

73. Thanks for your response and good luck. n/t