Covid Vaccine Distribution

[REWahoo]

And can't say I'm not happy that they are trying to limit the well-known "vaccine tourism" that was popping up...

More on that subject:

 

[Badger]

Similar happening in Florida. The governor said only Florida residents. No tourists. However, he did say the snowbird tourists can get the vaccine in Florida even though they are NOT really residents of the state. I guess if you are rich enough to have a condo, an annual apartment rental, or time share that can provide you with a utilities bill then even though you may not be in Florida for 11 months out of the year you are not considered a tourist.



Cheers!

 

[Chuckanut]

It's not just the doses that are a limiting factor.
In the EU, they are running short of syringes to give the shot.

And that is where the Feds can use their power to see that more syringes are being made. We don't need another mask/PPE/testing fiasco. That said, here in WA (the state) we are seeing a big jump in mass vaccination programs. They seem to be fairly well organized though smaller ones (like the clinic I use) can't handle the initial online and phone surges. The big issue is that while going from zero to 15,000 shots a day is impressive, we need to be closer to 40,000 shots to met the guv's goals.

This all happened in less than two weeks, after the state legislature was back in session for the first time since Covid hit (The last session ended just before Covid hit us.) I expect that most of our elected representatives got flooded with "What the heck is happening with the vaccine?" questions, and lit a bit of a fire under the Executive branch.

Of course, ongoing supply of vaccine is the crucial issue. We'll see what happens. Don't toss the N95 masks yet.

Stay safe out there.

 

[Ian S]

One of the things they are hoping to improve with the Defense Production Act invocation is the production of low dead volume syringes that in effect instantly increase the amount of vaccine available by 20%.

 

[MichaelB]

Similar happening in Florida. The governor said only Florida residents. No tourists. However, he did say the snowbird tourists can get the vaccine in Florida even though they are NOT really residents of the state. I guess if you are rich enough to have a condo, an annual apartment rental, or time share that can provide you with a utilities bill then even though you may not be in Florida for 11 months out of the year you are not considered a tourist.



Cheers!

This is the announcement yesterday from the Florida Surgeon General https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/wp...on-of-Floridans-for-Covid-19-Vaccinations.pdf

To define Florida residence it refers to Fl statute 381.986(3)(b), which is the statute for medical marijuana.

An adult resident must provide the department with a copy of his or her valid Florida driver license issued under s. 322.18 or a copy of a valid Florida identification card issued under s. 322.051.
2. An adult seasonal resident who cannot meet the requirements of subparagraph 1. may provide the department with a copy of two of the following that show proof of residential address:
a. A deed, mortgage, monthly mortgage statement, mortgage payment booklet or residential rental or lease agreement.
b. One proof of residential address from the seasonal resident’s parent, step-parent, legal guardian or other person with whom the seasonal resident resides and a statement from the person with whom the seasonal resident resides stating that the seasonal resident does reside with him or her.
c. A utility hookup or work order dated within 60 days before registration in the medical use registry.
d. A utility bill, not more than 2 months old.
e. Mail from a financial institution, including checking, savings, or investment account statements, not more than 2 months old.
f. Mail from a federal, state, county, or municipal government agency, not more than 2 months old.
g. Any other documentation that provides proof of residential address as determined by department rule.
3. A minor must provide the department with a certified copy of a birth certificate or a current record of registration from a Florida K-12 school and must have a parent or legal guardian who meets the requirements of subparagraph

 

[MichaelB]

They have it at my publix. Setup was a small table, for one person doing booking, plonked in the main walkway outside the pharmacy, with plexi divider, and a paper sign. Looked less organized than girl scout cookie sellers, poor thing. Still, I like the idea of that flexibility when they get around to my age group.

By booking I take it you mean “check in for appointment”.

The actual reservation can only be done online, with a system Publix designed for regular vaccinations. You visit the online registration site, it puts you into a waiting room and if you’re lucky it will let you in. Once in, you choose a location and time slot, then proceed to fill out a lengthy form. The problem is in this step, because the system doesn’t reserve that slot until you hit final submit, so others may choose it as well. It doesn’t tell you the slot is gone until you finalize the info section, and if the slot is gone, you need to go back to the beginning and look for another slot. It’s poorly thought out and clearly can’t handle the volume.

 

[Aerides]

By booking I take it you mean “check in for appointment”.

The actual reservation can only be done online, with a system Publix designed for regular vaccinations. You visit the online registration site, it puts you into a waiting room and if you’re lucky it will let you in. Once in, you choose a location and time slot, then proceed to fill out a lengthy form. The problem is in this step, because the system doesn’t reserve that slot until you hit final submit, so others may choose it as well. It doesn’t tell you the slot is gone until you finalize the info section, and if the slot is gone, you need to go back to the beginning and look for another slot. It’s poorly thought out and clearly can’t handle the volume.

Ah thanks. I hadn't paid that much attention to the mechanics since I won't be eligible for months, and parents are getting done already. I asked her how it was going and she mentioned they were booked already for the next day so I probably didn't realize the difference (there was no line at her table and I was there to pickup a scrip).

 

[sengsational]

A tip for filling out a lengthy form that you might need to revisit and fill in again...


There is a feature of the LastPass browser plug in to save all entered information. It's hard to find, but keep looking. Whenever I have a big time investment in filling a form, I try to remember to engage that feature. Then, next time you get to the page, you can fill it all back the way it was last time automatically.

 

[GravitySucks]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/health/us-vaccination-timeline-analysis/index.html

Over a month ago, The Economist estimated over 20% of US residents had been infected. If the new strand is as virulent as they are saying I'm wondering if we hit herd immunity sooner than the end of the year without full vaccination.
Not that that's something I'm hoping for.

 

[Music Lover]

I see Amazon has offered to help with distribution. Funny about the timing.

And the WHO just changed the testing parameters to prevent false positives, even though they've known about the problem for several months.

 

[Sunset]

I really had my hopes up for a vaccine, but here in IL , it's more rare than a tax break.

I haven't found for my County or nearby ones, where a person can even sign up to get in line for the vaccine.

Just to add to the misery, the UK variant may be more deadly (and more transmissible)
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/22/uk/uk-variant-scientists-johnson-intl/index.html

 

[audreyh1]

Wow - a crazy crazy day!!!

But DH got his first Pfizer vaccine dose!!!!!

I was just finishing up some lunch prep at 2:15pm when DH discovered that he had gotten an email from UTRGV at 11:35am this morning notifying him to come to their facility in Mercedes TX between 1 and 3pm to get the vaccine "until supplies run out". He didn't see the email until 2:15pm. We had barely enough time to make it to Mercedes before 3pm. Threw stuff in the fridge and took off.

This town is 35 miles away. We got there at 2:55pm expecting nada. But - there was still a line outside, moving very slowly. As it turned out - other people were told to come between 3 and 5, so they had just been allocating time slots. We waited outside about an hour and a half. And then a couple of registration steps inside which took another 20 mins or so, vaccine, then wait 30 minutes for any reaction.

Waiting outside was fine, people were reasonable spaced, weather was good, sunny, light breeze. I thought it was a bit too crowded inside, but they did space us out and keep the doors open. Everyone completely masked, of course. I got to stay with DH during most of it. Long long drive, long long wait, but so worth it! DH has an appointment for the 2nd dose.

UTRGV said they are getting about 24 hour notice these days when vaccines are coming, and they arrive with an armed escort!

I'm not yet eligible being 61 with no comorbidities that are in the TX list.

 

[ivinsfan]

Good news audrey1.. but how irritating that everything is such a hassle.

I managed to get a very immuno suppressed 70 year friend on the waitlist for our state vaccine clinic.It took all afternoon Tuesday. you had to say how much of a window you needed for notification. It 1 to 3 hours, 8 hours, or one day. Friend was all dithery about how fast he could move. Told me he wasn't very good at checking email. I put 1 to 3 and told him if you want a vaccine you better be on your email all day Thursday and Friday.,

 

[harllee]

Grrr--I spent a day helping my B-I-L get his elderly father an appointment at a larger super vaccination site in Greensboro NC. Now today all 10,400 appointments are cancelled because they did not receive the 10,400 doses they had been told to expect. Grr....this vaccine roll out has been a disaster. I certainly hope things will show improvement.

 

[CaptTom]

And the WHO just changed the testing parameters to prevent false positives, even though they've known about the problem for several months.

OK, I fear I'm going to regret this, but...

Can you cite a source? I couldn't find anything about this.

 

[audreyh1]

Good news audrey1.. but how irritating that everything is such a hassle.

I managed to get a very immuno suppressed 70 year friend on the waitlist for our state vaccine clinic.It took all afternoon Tuesday. you had to say how much of a window you needed for notification. It 1 to 3 hours, 8 hours, or one day. Friend was all dithery about how fast he could move. Told me he wasn't very good at checking email. I put 1 to 3 and told him if you want a vaccine you better be on your email all day Thursday and Friday.,

This approach surprised us, because we were expecting a call from them to make an appointment. So we weren’t looking for a short notice email. But I attribute it to them not knowing about their allocation in advance, and this was the quickest way they could notify qualified registered folks. I have since put their email address on high notification priory on my iOS devices.

I overheard one guy say he was in checkout at HEB when he got the email, rushed home to leave his groceries and rushed to the site. Some folks may have decided not to go because it’s a ways from the main large urban area.

 

[Chuckanut]

Over a month ago, The Economist estimated over 20% of US residents had been infected. If the new strand is as virulent as they are saying I'm wondering if we hit herd immunity sooner than the end of the year without full vaccination.
Not that that's something I'm hoping for.

Dr. Gottlieb, who has been all over the news these days, has suggested something similar. Given the widespread infections from November through March, he expects about 20% of us to have some sort of immunity. Add in another 30% who get the vaccine (optimistic, I know) and we hit 50%. At that point, IIRC, he thinks the spread of the virus will slow down as the virus searches for the other 50%.

By the way, I heard Dr. Fauci clearly say the 100 day goal was 100 million shots, not 100 million fully vaccinated people. Some people might get two shots, but most will only get one during that 100 days. There's still a lot of work to do.

 

[REWahoo]

DW and I both received the first Moderna shot this morning at a mass vaccination site. We were told when we made the appointment to not get out of our car and come to the door until 5 minutes prior to our appointment time. We arrived in the parking lot 15 minutes early and while waiting, a security guard came to tell us they were running ahead of schedule and we could go inside.

A really well-run operation vaccinating more than 100 people an hour. We were in and out in less than 30 minutes, including waiting 15 minutes after the injection (which I didn't even feel).

We both have an appointment to get the second dose in 28 days.

 

[Boho]

What's the deal with people who feel only pressure or don't feel it at all? I remember needles always hurting more than described when I was a kid. 23andMe says my "genetic muscle composition is common in elite power athletes". Maybe muscle density determines the pain level.

 

[Aerides]

What's the deal with people who feel only pressure or don't feel it at all? I remember needles always hurting more than described when I was a kid. 23andMe says my "genetic muscle composition is common in elite power athletes". Maybe muscle density determines the pain level.

some people have different perspective. If you've ever had real serious pain, a brief needle jab is nothing.

 

[Time2]

We have a text system here, you get the text then get to pick from three different times to get a ticket. When you click the time you are at the mercy of the computer system lottery as to whether you get a ticket. I've had 4 notifications and no luck. One time, the link said I was in line for a ticket, rather than please try again later. But that screen only lasted for about a minute then I was right back to picking a time, to be told, try again later.
The last time, I got the text and was on the ticket page within 30 seconds and it said all tickets were served.
It's getting frustrating.

 

[neihn]

Back in the days of having a modem on my computer, I once wrote an application that did redials. It wasn't too much help, though. Although it silently dialed, it required a mouse click if I recognized the busy signal vs ringing. If I wrote it now, I'd have the capability to discern the busy signal from the ringing. Hmmm. Too bad the modems are all long gone (and wouldn't fit on the new computer bus anyway).

You can still buy USB dial up modem now, roll your sleeves and whip some code and share it us.
Still remember AT command set.

 

[timo2]

Story about vaccine chasers in Los Angeles: from the article: "But some clinics have soon-to-expire doses left over at the end of the day or during an early-afternoon lull, and word has quickly spread about this potential back door to vaccine access. Some who flock to the sites spend hours waiting in the hope of catching a lucky break.

Kedren Community Health Center in South Los Angeles and the Balboa Sports Complex in Encino have been at the center of the rumor mill in recent days, drawing large crowds that begin assembling before dawn. Some people arrive from neighborhoods far from the vaccination sites.

Those crowds have included seniors who, despite being eligible to receive the shots, had failed to secure appointments. But many of the others camped out in line do not qualify for doses under the state’s phased system of distribution.

.....At the Balboa Sports Complex in Encino on Friday, a line of seniors and healthcare workers snaked around a red brick building where vaccinators administered shots to people with appointments. But just beyond that — alongside the park’s tennis courts and baseball fields — a separate line had formed: vaccine hopefuls.

Young people, families and even seniors were parked on lawn chairs and blankets, waiting to see if there would be extra shots available for them at the end of the day. Rumors abounded, including one often-repeated anecdote about 200 people who lucked into leftover shots one afternoon last week.....

...At the Balboa Sports Complex in Encino on Friday, a line of seniors and healthcare workers snaked around a red brick building where vaccinators administered shots to people with appointments. But just beyond that — alongside the park’s tennis courts and baseball fields — a separate line had formed: vaccine hopefuls.

Young people, families and even seniors were parked on lawn chairs and blankets, waiting to see if there would be extra shots available for them at the end of the day. Rumors abounded, including one often-repeated anecdote about 200 people who lucked into leftover shots one afternoon last week."

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-01-23/standby-lines-backdoor-vaccine-access

 

[Popeye]

Good news audrey1.. but how irritating that everything is such a hassle.

I managed to get a very immuno suppressed 70 year friend on the waitlist for our state vaccine clinic.It took all afternoon Tuesday. you had to say how much of a window you needed for notification. It 1 to 3 hours, 8 hours, or one day. Friend was all dithery about how fast he could move. Told me he wasn't very good at checking email. I put 1 to 3 and told him if you want a vaccine you better be on your email all day Thursday and Friday.,

Sounds like an easy improvement would be to allow people to add a second contact person for notification especially for folks who may not be checking emails 25 times a day. You can do with elderly and various utility bills for example.

 

[ivinsfan]

Sounds like an easy improvement would be to allow people to add a second contact person for notification especially for folks who may not be checking emails 25 times a day. You can do with elderly and various utility bills for example.

That's just another layer of trouble. my friend had a gmail account , load the account on your phone and he has one. check your notifications and texts. In this case the waitlists are dumped after two days of vaccine clinics. It's not that hard to do for two days.