Covid Vaccine Distribution

[harllee]

I keep reading "things are opening up" and everyone on Facebook has been bragging about getting their shots. It's getting very frustrating that I can't seem to get one.

I was able to get my husband his COVID shots via the county health department, where I also registered back in, I think, December. They have not contacted me. I have no way of knowing where I might be on the wait list.

I have gone to the COVID vaccine web sites for all the participating pharmacies in Florida, searching for availability in a one-county radius (all counties bordering mine). This includes Publix, Winn-Dixie, Walmart, Sam's Club, and CVS. I selected the stores which said they had vaccine available (not all do).

The sign-up field asks if you are eligible (I am) and your city and state. I have entered every town within a 50-mile radius. Even though the site says "vaccine available," every response has been "No vaccine available."

What could I be doing wrong?

I think it is a Florida problem. There are so many over age 65 folks in Florida it is very hard to find a vaccine. I have 2 different Florida friends who have come to North Carolina and got their vaccinations. Is going to a different state a possibility for you?

 

[simple girl]

I keep reading "things are opening up" and everyone on Facebook has been bragging about getting their shots. It's getting very frustrating that I can't seem to get one.

I was able to get my husband his COVID shots via the county health department, where I also registered back in, I think, December. They have not contacted me. I have no way of knowing where I might be on the wait list.

I have gone to the COVID vaccine web sites for all the participating pharmacies in Florida, searching for availability in a one-county radius (all counties bordering mine). This includes Publix, Winn-Dixie, Walmart, Sam's Club, and CVS. I selected the stores which said they had vaccine available (not all do).

The sign-up field asks if you are eligible (I am) and your city and state. I have entered every town within a 50-mile radius. Even though the site says "vaccine available," every response has been "No vaccine available."

What could I be doing wrong?

Sent you a PM, if you want I may be able to help! I've helped a few people book slots so far.

I've noticed southwest Florida seems to be an area where it is much harder to locate spots. Tampa, right now pretty darned easy. It really seems to depend on where you live in FL.

 

[Lagniappe]

Sent you a PM, if you want I may be able to help! I've helped a few people book slots so far.

I've noticed southwest Florida seems to be an area where it is much harder to locate spots. Tampa, right now pretty darned easy. It really seems to depend on where you live in FL.

I live in Naples, and everyone in my neighborhood was complaining about getting vaccine appointments. Last Thursday I got my permission slip from my doctor (Determination of Extreme Vulnerability). Made lots of calls and sat on the Publix and WalMart web sites with no luck. I kept an eye on the Facebook site Simple girl mentioned earlier in the thread, and saw a mention that Walgreens was open. What do you know - at midnight last Friday, they opened appointments all over my county. I am leaving now to get my first Pfizer shot.

 

[explanade]

What financial risk is someone taking on by waiting their turn for vaccine vs actively trying to get it somewhere?

If you get unlucky and have to be hospitalized, what are the bills you might face? $15,000 in deductibles?

IMO the government should cover the expenses of a COVID sickness if they want people to wait for a vaccine while everyone is taking off their mask.

I thought all covid bills were being covered while we're under a state of emergency?

So the ACA plans waive deductibles for covid care?

Or is that only for covid tests and vaccines?

 

[simple girl]

I live in Naples, and everyone in my neighborhood was complaining about getting vaccine appointments. Last Thursday I got my permission slip from my doctor (Determination of Extreme Vulnerability). Made lots of calls and sat on the Publix and WalMart web sites with no luck. I kept an eye on the Facebook site Simple girl mentioned earlier in the thread, and saw a mention that Walgreens was open. What do you know - at midnight last Friday, they opened appointments all over my county. I am leaving now to get my first Pfizer shot.

YAY!!!!! Congratulations! I'm so happy to hear this!!!

I just obtained 2 Walgreen's appts for friends this week, plus one CVS one for another friend. Well, I couldn't book the Walgreen's ones as you have to have your own account, but I let my friends know of availability ASAP and they booked successfully. I was able to book the CVS one for my friend with her info.

It can be done - especially if you are persistent, follow FB groups, know when to look for appts (some drop at midnight, others very early in the morning), and are willing to travel a bit in some situations.

 

[JoeWras]

simple girl and harllee are our official vaccine whisperer heroes!

 

[GoBears]

I received a text message and an email from our local health care system (not Kaiser) last Thursday advising me to sign up as I was eligible beginning March 15th due to a couple of preexisting conditions. I scheduled my appointment for yesterday morning and all went smoothly. Received my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine and only experienced slight muscle soreness as a side effect and that is now gone. Shot #2 is set for April 5. That means a trip to visit the grandkids is scheduled a little over two weeks after that. DW is willing to take a risk given the small number of cases where they are in Churchill County, NV. Now I need to go about making eye and dental appointments in late April or May. It will also be time to go mattress shopping.

 

[Retch The Grate]

So why can you not return to SF and get your shots there? Here in NC people are driving all over the state to get the vaccine, sometimes hundreds of miles.

People are doing that in CA too, but the email was clear that you were supposed to be an SF resident and we are not anymore.

 

[tulak]

I thought about doing the "leftover dose" thing, but my preferred vaccinator basically says on their website "Please don't!" so I think I'll just bide my time and wait until 3/29 when I become officially eligible.

This isn’t the case here. If there are leftover doses at the end of the day, then they are more than happy to give you a shot.

It’s fairly orderly. In our state, everyone 65+ is eligible and there doesn’t seem to be an issue with vaccine supply. With the extra doses, they call out people 64, then 63, etc, until they run out of doses.

I was extremely lucky and got my first shot. They had an abnormally high amount of extra doses and even then I was one of the last chosen.

I’m impressed with how well run the vaccine distribution is handled. While waiting in line, I received a text with an appointment for the second dose.

Based on my observations of the last week, I’m feeling optimistic that we’ll see a lot of progress over the next couple of months.

 

[braumeister]

Here's a nice new feature:

Apple's Maps app will now "display nearby COVID-19 vaccine providers across the United States to make it easier for people to find an appropriate location to receive the vaccination when eligible"

Vaccine location listings include operating hours and links to other important information... you can ask Siri "Where can I get a COVID vaccination?" to be directed to a nearby location.

VaccineFinder, a free online service from the Boston's Children Hospital, is providing the data ... the initial rollout includes more than 20,000 locations. Apple plans to add more sites in the coming weeks.

 

[ivinsfan]

24 hours post second Moderna shot. I have a craptacular headache which caught me by surprise. I had virtually no reaction from first dose.

 

[Live Free]

I got my parents, who are in their mid-80s, vaccine appointments very early on in NC. I think probably they were near the head of the line as they got their first shots in mid-January. But it has taken me a month and a half to finally secure appointments for my in-laws in PA who are over 65 and with multiple comorbidities, including severe COPD. After following multiple FB groups that track when appointments are dropped at the various pharmacies, I logged into Rite Aid in the middle of the night and snagged two appointments. I felt like I won the lotto! In PA last week they were focusing on teachers and child care providers so it was tough to get through anywhere. It is opening up a bit more each week. Hopefully supply catches up to demand over the next month or two!

 

[simple girl]

I got my parents, who are in their mid-80s, vaccine appointments very early on in NC. I think probably they were near the head of the line as they got their first shots in mid-January. But it has taken me a month and a half to finally secure appointments for my in-laws in PA who are over 65 and with multiple comorbidities, including severe COPD. After following multiple FB groups that track when appointments are dropped at the various pharmacies, I logged into Rite Aid in the middle of the night and snagged two appointments. I felt like I won the lotto! In PA last week they were focusing on teachers and child care providers so it was tough to get through anywhere. It is opening up a bit more each week. Hopefully supply catches up to demand over the next month or two!

PA is brutal! Almost always booked everywhere. I've been looking off/on for a relative there. I actually finally found Pfizer twice but he refused - wants J&J. PA is reserving J&J for teachers primarily, so that search was a futile effort.

I stopped looking for him (he's too picky!), but am on the hunt again to help some PA friends. I do the whole FB group thing and the apps, etc., but I draw the line at getting up in the middle of the night for my volunteer efforts.

 

[Dash man]

PA is brutal! Almost always booked everywhere. I've been looking off/on for a relative there. I actually finally found Pfizer twice but he refused - wants J&J. PA is reserving J&J for teachers primarily, so that search was a futile effort.



I stopped looking for him (he's too picky!), but am on the hunt again to help some PA friends. I do the whole FB group thing and the apps, etc., but I draw the line at getting up in the middle of the night for my volunteer efforts.

We were able to get our first Pfizer shot through Montgomery County, PA, last Thursday about four weeks after we registered. I tried the pharmacy websites with no luck. Things were slow starting, but the pace is picking up.

 

[simple girl]

We were able to get our first Pfizer shot through Montgomery County, PA, last Thursday about four weeks after we registered. I tried the pharmacy websites with no luck. Things were slow starting, but the pace is picking up.

Good to know! Thanks!

 

[mpeirce]

(emphasis added)

You may need to rebook the 2nd dose. The recommended time between Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses is 28 days.https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/moderna/index.html

I just mistyped that - my bad. My second dose is April 13th...

 

[Amethyst]

Wish non-Apples had that feature.

Here's a nice new feature:

Apple's Maps app will now "display nearby COVID-19 vaccine providers across the United States to make it easier for people to find an appropriate location to receive the vaccination when eligible"

 

[MissMolly]

Google Maps does the same thing.

 

[Amethyst]

Funny, I just checked G Maps and didn't see a vaccine finder (other than "Pharmacies," which have to be checked individually). It does give the COVID prevalence in a given area

Google Maps does the same thing.

 

[ivinsfan]

Wish non-Apples had that feature.

Our state dept of health has that feature up and running, have you checked your state?

 

[sengsational]

Funny, I just checked G Maps and didn't see a vaccine finder (other than "Pharmacies," which have to be checked individually). It does give the COVID prevalence in a given area

I just did a search and the first link was this : https://www.verywellhealth.com/google-vaccine-finder-covid-19-5111315

The company is working with VaccineFinder.org, a site from Boston Children’s Hospital, that helps connect people with resources to find vaccination locations.

The vaccine site information is now available in Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia.

 

[Aerides]

Our state dept of health has that feature up and running, have you checked your state?

Ah that might explain it... florida, etc... For my county ( a couple south of amethyst ) only 2 locations are shown on google maps: A single CVS and the county health. But this is wrong, because it's not showing the Publix locations at all or any other CVS. And we're a big county, 1.4m people, with probably 50 Publix and 30 CVS? Pretty much all the publix locations have pharmacies and are supposed to be participating, they were the exclusive provider for us until this month iirc.

Either way, Fl is very different county by county...

Amethyst, are you trying to get one on Publix? They open appointments every M/W/F at 7am (blink or you'll miss it though...)

 

[Ronstar]

Here's a nice new feature:

Apple's Maps app will now "display nearby COVID-19 vaccine providers across the United States to make it easier for people to find an appropriate location to receive the vaccination when eligible"

Cool feature. May be lacking in our area. Doesn't show here I got my vaccine or our county's new mass vaccination site. But the new mass vaccination site has replaced the site where I got mine. Map does show local Osco, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacies - not sure if they are providing vaccinations.

ETA. The State of Illinois site does have our county's mass vaccination site listed. https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/vaccination-location

 

[Chuckanut]

Apple's Maps app will now "display nearby COVID-19 vaccine providers across the United States to make it easier for people to find an appropriate location to receive the vaccination when eligible"

How does one find this feature? All I see is the map and the usual stuff to find out where 4637 East Shoebox Lane is.

 

[Ronstar]

How does one find this feature? All I see is the map and the usual stuff to find out where 4637 East Shoebox Lane is.

Say "Hey Siri, Where can I find a Covid Vaccination?" to your phone. Then click the open maps button that comes up on the screen.