Covid Vaccine Distribution

[Calico]

I’m so excited: my vaccine appointment is Friday morning!!!

I had registered with the city as well as some local health organizations, waiting for my turn. I thought I’d have to wait until June or July before I was able to get the vaccine; I’m not in a high priority group. But I received an email today saying that there is a mass vaccine event on Friday and I could register!

I’m still shocked. It’s for the J&J vaccine. I guess I was hoping for Moderna or Pfizer but after doing more reading it sounds like J&J is highly effective at keeping people from hospitalizations and death. And I’ll be done in one shot.

Hurry up and get here, Friday!

It's like winning the lottery, isn't it?

 

[Leo1277]

...
My vaccine provider did make a 2nd dose appointment for me at the time of my first shot. The problem is mine is a bit too early: 24 days later rather than the 28 required for Moderna
...

Appointments at most of the providers can be made 7 days out, so 21 days after first shot, without yet cancelling what you have, I would try to secure something for 28 days after first shot. If it works, great, if not repeat the next day until at most 1 day before your currently scheduled appointment. If you succeed, please don't forget to very soon release your current appointment, others need it.

I have done something along these lines and had two active appointments at the same time for a few minutes, even at the same provider, before I cancelled the less favorable one.To increase your chances, you can even at, say, 19 days after first shot try to get something for 26 days out, which would be better than your current 24, and if you succeed and really want to push it to the extreme, after that follow my originally proposed scheme. It's a lot of effort, but we live in unusual times, and those who make the effort get the vaccine, it's as simple as that.

 

[Sunset]

You may think this is what happened but it is unlikely (or if it happened it was ill advised). What you describe was true for Chicken pox as it is a disease that almost everyone gets in temperate climates and is generally much milder in children than in adults so it made sense to get it out of the way. This is definitely not the case for measles which the majority of people did not contract at all, which can be fatal in up to 1 in 100 to 200 cases and most fatalities were in children less than 5 years of age. Mumps was not as nasty a virus but it did account for a significant number of cases of encephalitis and meningitis before a vaccine was developed and can result in sterility in males. Again, it was much better to get the at an older age as the likelihood of severe outcomes was reduced.

My Mom was very old school, she sent me to play with the neighbor's child as he had German Measles.
The mortality was covered with her other saying of: "don't have all your eggs in 1 basket" As I was not her only child

 

[Leo1277]

My Mom ... "don't have all your eggs in 1 basket" as I was not her only child

Tough mom! But in the case of her children, I suppose it is literally "her eggs"

 

[6miths]

My Mom was very old school, she sent me to play with the neighbor's child as he had German Measles.
The mortality was covered with her other saying of: "don't have all your eggs in 1 basket" As I was not her only child

'German measles' is rubella as opposed to 'red measles' which is rubeola or just measles. Rubella is another relatively mild infection with very low mortality risk. It was good to get it out of the way in childhood as it is very dangerous when acquired in pregnancy. In pregnant women, rubella causes miscarriage and congenital rubella syndrome which includes heart defects, blindness, deafness and neurodevelopmental delay. Important to be sure that reproductive age women are vaccinated before pregnancy. Vaccine is the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine usually given 1 and 4-6 years of age.

 

[badatmath]

I got a shot for tomorrow! It seems you have to check daily here and hope for the best.

 

[littleb]

Received my 2nd shot last week and DH gets his 1st shot this morning.

A long process but glad it's finally here.

 

[audreyh1]

I have not tried this, but I have read others on FB groups use this strategy successfully. Sign in through a different state (many use Alabama, I guess because it's the first one?), but then once you are into the system they ask you where you want to get your vaccine. Then you can choose your state.

I don't know if this is a work around for the problem you are having or not - but worth a try?

The other thing I have heard is when you get that adding appts page or heavy traffic page you keep going back to the prior page and try to book over and over again, opening multiple tabs. Sometimes you get through?

Sorry, can't say I have experience with this part, just what I've heard others say works for the CVS scheduler. Stressful when vaccine is scarce. Hope things improve there soon!

Thank God! Finally!

This morning, checking the CVS heavy traffic page yet again, it suddenly popped up the scheduler. I was able to get an appointment for Monday afternoon not far from home. There were several options near my zip code but only one offered the Pfizer vaccine.

I was pretty worried about getting an appointment next week because Monday, April 29 is when vaccines are available to anyone 16 and older in TX.

We had planned to return home on Monday. We’ll now leave Friday evening instead of Saturday morning and arrive home Monday morning at the latest.

Knock on wood!

 

[Aerides]

My vaccine provider did make a 2nd dose appointment for me at the time of my first shot. The problem is mine is a bit too early: 24 days later rather than the 28 required for Moderna. I checked with my doctor and was told that if at all possible I should try to reschedule for 28 days or more past the first dose - even though 4 days early is (just barely) within the "vaccine grace period". So I now have the choice of taking my possibly too early shot or playing the 2nd shot scheduling lottery again. I suspect I'll be able to schedule my 2nd dose properly just as I did my wife's, but I hate to surrender to the crap shoot again.

I do think I'll heed my doctor's advice, but I wonder what others here may have heard about reducing the interval between the tow doses and the 4 day grace period for an early 2nd dose.

I would not think twice about it and go ahead as scheduled - trying to thread the needle to get exactly 28 might just as likely mean you'll end up going longer (also not really an issue according to the data).

My pfizer was auto-booked for 28 days later, when guidance for those is 21. Don't care, not gonna fuss about a few days. In your shoes I would not release my 24 day appointment unless I already secured one at 28, and if I could not I would go ahead on day 24.

 

[simple girl]

Thank God! Finally!

This morning, checking the CVS heavy traffic page yet again, it suddenly popped up the scheduler. I was able to get an appointment for Monday afternoon not far from home. There were several options near my zip code but only one offered the Pfizer vaccine.

YAY!!!!

 

[LRDave]

DW and I (60 & 62) both got our 1st shot yesterday - but in different states (GA:me AL:wife) and different vaccines (Pfizer:me Moderna:wife).

 

[audreyh1]

My pfizer was auto-booked for 28 days later, when guidance for those is 21. Don't care, not gonna fuss about a few days. In your shoes I would not release my 24 day appointment unless I already secured one at 28, and if I could not I would go ahead on day 24.

28 days is fine for Pfizer. 21 days is a minimum. Later may actually be better.

 

[audreyh1]

YAY!!!!

Yeah, especially as now there is nothing within 100 miles of home which has been the story every day this week.

 

[Aerides]

28 days is fine for Pfizer. 21 days is a minimum. Later may actually be better.

Yeah I figure walgreens software is just plugging them both on the same # of days vs. custom coding.

I'm also kind of in need of a cortizone injection in my long-nagging shoulder, and there is a recommendation for 2 week spacing with the vaccines. I'm not sure I can hold out for 5-6 weeks (1-2 weeks post 2nd shot) but if I can sneak one in at the 14 day mid point I probably will. But I'll talk to my doc about the best timing.

 

[simple girl]

Florida dropping to age 40 this coming Monday, 18 the week after that.

 

[5Miler]

DGF was also getting frustrated waiting for her chance to get the vaccine. Two weeks ago one of her girlfriends called her to let her know that Sam's Club was getting set to offer the J&J vaccine and she could sign up in the store to be called in case someone failed to show for their appointment. We went later in the day to Sam's Club where she was placed on the list at number 49 waiting. Sam's Club called that evening and gave her a 9:30 AM appointment for the next day. The friend and her husband got the call the next day (as they wanted two appointments together) so now everyone in our circle of friends is vaccinated. Who knew Sam's Club was in the vaccination game.

This is in Gwinnett County, GA. I got mine finished up a month ago as I'm over 65 while DGF is just a young thing at 61.

 

[regenaeb]

If anyone is struggling and wants the instructions to the how best to work around CVS system to schedule at midnight let me know. I tried to attach the PDF instructions I was given, but it is too large of an attachment. But if you private message me with your private email, I will send them along to you. I found them very helpful when I got my appointment. It is step by step instructions on getting around the "no appointments available in your area". Like SimpleGirl said before the easiest is to start by trying a different state that has plenty of supply, such as Louisiana or Alabama. Then once you can actually get to the scheduler you answer the eligibility questions and then after that enter your state you want to search. This is how I was able to obtain my appointment in Massachusetts. The PDF has more information and has screen shots to make the process easier.

I had heard on the Facebook group in MA that people trying between 4-6am can get appointments, but run into that same problem of "waiting we are adding more appointments", they call it the virtual waiting room. But I had zero issues at midnight. Also a tip I learned, I opened 3 different browser windows all on the CVS site and had my information entered into each one on the CVS scheduler at around 11:50PM. I put in 3 different locations, one in each browser of where I wanted to look. At 11:59PM, I had the browser open with the closest location and then at exactly 12:00AM, I hit the search symbol and immediately it came up with the closest CVS to me that had the vaccine. Having all three set up would allow me to move to the next one if my first location had no appointments instead of starting over.

 

[lucky penny]

As of yesterday, anyone 50 and over can get the vaccine in NY. I was able to make an appointment for today and was in and out in about 20 minutes. I was shocked how quickly it went.

Where are you located? My sister in her 60s, in WNY, has been trying for weeks, but I was able to help her get an appointment a month from now at the state's mega-site in Buffalo. Very frustrating that eligibility is expanding when some who are the most vulnerable are struggling.

 

[Leo1277]

...
I put in 3 different locations, one in each browser of where I wanted to look. At 11:59PM, I had the browser open with the closest location and then at exactly 12:00AM, I hit the search symbol and immediately it came up with the closest CVS to me that had the vaccine. Having all three set up would allow me to move to the next one if my first location had no appointments instead of starting over.
...

Great strategy; but one may want to mention that while you can do it in different browsers, it's easy in the same browser by using private tabs, or container tabs, which is enough to avoid confusion that arises if different tabs put cookies in the same place. I once did this in Firefox with around five separate container tabs.

 

[littleb]

Where are you located? My sister in her 60s, in WNY, has been trying for weeks, but I was able to help her get an appointment a month from now at the state's mega-site in Buffalo. Very frustrating that eligibility is expanding when some who are the most vulnerable are struggling.

Try vaccinefinder.org.

That is the site I used to get appointments. Where I live the pharmacies and Wal-Mart are doing exceptional. The Health Department is struggling as I got on the wait list 2 months ago and no call or email. Wal-Mart can get you an appointment within days.

I received my 2nd shot at Kroger pharmacy last week. DH received his 1st shot today.

 

[DektolMan]

Where are you located? My sister in her 60s, in WNY, has been trying for weeks, but I was able to help her get an appointment a month from now at the state's mega-site in Buffalo. Very frustrating that eligibility is expanding when some who are the most vulnerable are struggling.

I have family & friends in WNY and they have been having a hard time getting appointments also. One went to Syracuse, one to Rochester and some that still can't get appointments. I hope it gets better.

 

[Katsmeow]

I was pretty worried about getting an appointment next week because Monday, April 29 is when vaccines are available to anyone 16 and older in TX.

March 29

 

[audreyh1]

March 29

Oops, that’s what I meant.

 

[11522914]

Just got a text stating NC will be open to all adults on April 7th.

 

[Freedom56]

California is opening up to 50 and over starting April 1st and 16 and over starting April 16th which is great news for those who want the vaccine. I want the Pfizer shot. My wife is jabbing people with Moderna and soon J&J. She already got two doses of Pfizer.