topic Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine in Community Chat

Trying to find the Covid vaccine

gidgetgh — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 20:00:34 GMT

This is not meant as a controversial thread. Info. Only.

Today is the day that 65 and older can start scheduling appts. For the vaccine in Georgia. Georgia ranks in the bottom two in terms of distribution. Sigh....

The health dept. website, where you can schedule an appt., for my county crashed right after the midnight launch. I had tried it at 3 AM and it was down. Phone system is also down. It's almost 3 PM and it's still not up.

I also tried to go through the large healthcare system here as I have 1 doctor in that system. Their site is up and down and when I AM able to login it doesn't give you the option to schedule an appt. apparently they are sending out "invitations" in waves. A friend of mine just gave me a phone number to call to manually book an appt. I called and the recorded message said no appts. Available.

CVS said they've received no information on vaccine rollout through them.

I've contacted 8-10 independent pharmacies that were listed in the Georgia master list. You contact them by email. No luck with that so far.

The website for the health dept. one county over crashed also and they don't answer their phone.

Someone in a Facebook group gave me a phone number for another large health care system that I'm not a member of. I called and after many press 1 and press 2's I left my number for a call back and actually got one a few hours later. They created a Health record number for me. She said the nurse will call back to schedule the appt. she has no idea when they'll call and I am to answer calls from all unknown phone numbers. Fine with me.

There has to be a better way.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

happycat — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 20:14:22 GMT

I agree, there does have to be a better way. I hope you are able to get the vaccine soon, @gidgetgh.

Someone from one of the hospitals my mother has been to recently called her and said they were getting the shot and she should hear back with in 3 weeks about when she would be able to get the shot. She didn't get the persons name, or keep her number. I'm having trouble finding out info for my folks. That was about 3 weeks ago.

I hope that in the coming weeks things will get better. I hate to think of some of those shots going bad.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

Kachina624 — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 20:32:51 GMT

@gidgetgh. Are you surprised consider the same outfit running the health care system is also running the post office?

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

gidgetgh — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 21:39:37 GMT

@Kachina624 - I wasn't surprised. I live in a really large metro Atlanta county and you unleash all the 65+ people at the same time. No way is a website going to be able to handle it.

Someone said there are 250,000 over 65's in our county. No way do they have enough vaccines for that.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

Mindy D — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 20:58:36 GMT

I got through to nearby local county to set up appointment but the appointment site they had opening for was very, very far. Just keep trying and you will get through.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

Porcelain — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 21:13:01 GMT

This morning DH was able to make his appointment for his second vaccination shot. You really have to have an email for one of the administrators who can do the scheduling and show a lot of interest so they'll contact you back. And then jump on it the moment appointments become available.

He let me know he'd heard from the lady, got a glass of water in the kitchen, and then rushed back to make an appointment. And he got one for around noon on the date. That tells me appointments filled up really fast. In this regard, we're fortunate that our county is doing our vaccinations as opposed to a larger entity.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

CathyNY — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 21:19:36 GMT

I think the reality is that it's just going to take time. With such high demand and the vaccine in its early stages of manufacture and distribution, widespread availability probably will not occur for months.

I will be turning 65 soon and live in NY, right now NY is offering the vaccine in the general population only to those 75 and over.

The earliest I have of any expectation of getting the vaccine is April -ish. I'm fine with that. I will continue to limit social interaction, which is frankly, none, and follow the other recommend precautions.

For me and speaking for me only, I am fine with that.

On the other hand, I am very grateful that my 32 year old niece who is an ICU nurse has received both her first and second doses.

Peace & Serenity - out...

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

OKPrincess — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 21:26:21 GMT

DH had his first vaccine this past Saturday. He will get the second dose 2/7.

The doctors group as part of the hospital called the high risk patients so he got in on Saturday. That was awesome he got called.

I'm still trying to sign up but Oklahoma's site can't handle the volume of signees.

Frustrating but we will eventually get our turn.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

Suzeecat — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 21:31:34 GMT

@gidgetgh wrote:
This is not meant as a controversial thread. Info. Only.

There has to be a better way.

Your experience mirrors mine in Michigan. It's a disaster and it's not like they didn't have plenty of time to figure this out. We've been waiting for a vaccine for close to a YEAR. What a mess.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

corita — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 21:38:43 GMT

Heard on the local news that over 80,000 have signed up for their shot!! No way will they all be accommodated! I really think all emergency personnel - police, EMT, hospital staff should get the shot first. Then, since they are opening the area schools - teachers should get theirs.

I meet the criteria, but will wait until numbers level out...

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

ValuSkr — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 21:48:54 GMT

It's not surprising the system would be overloaded at the beginning. I'd wait a few weeks to try again.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

gidgetgh — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 22:09:41 GMT

Miracle of miracles. The county website just came back up. A friend alerted me and I tried on my computer and couldn't get the site to load.

Switched to the iPad and had to refresh literally maybe 75 times and it finally let me book an appt. for this Thursday morning.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

Suziepeach — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 22:33:35 GMT

@gidgetgh great on getting an appointment- Cherokee County had the same procedure, we are scheduled for Monday, 18th at noon.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

gidgetgh — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 22:54:26 GMT

@Suziepeach wrote:
@gidgetgh great on getting an appointment- Cherokee County had the same procedure, we are scheduled for Monday, 18th at noon.

@Suziepeach - I hope that when we schedule the 2nd shot, which is more time critical, that the process will be easier.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

ECBG — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 23:03:41 GMT

I can imagine the system did crash, I'd be surprised if it didn't.

In NC we haven't gotten to the 65 age group yet.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

Suziepeach — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 23:07:58 GMT

@gidgetgh wrote:
@Suziepeach wrote:
@gidgetgh great on getting an appointment- Cherokee County had the same procedure, we are scheduled for Monday, 18th at noon.

@Suziepeach - I hope that when we schedule the 2nd shot, which is more time critical, that the process will be easier.

@gidgetgh I understood from the website, they'll let you know when to come back for the 2nd shot and you'll be given a vaccination card.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

tansy — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 23:21:06 GMT

The virus is raging in AZ. I'm not even checking into the vaccine until later this month when hopefully the process is better organized.

I'm glad you were able to get an appointment, @gidgetgh @and @Suziepeach.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

Suziepeach — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 23:29:56 GMT

@tansy wrote:
The virus is raging in AZ. I'm not even checking into the vaccine until later this month when hopefully the process is better organized.

I'm glad you were able to get an appointment, @gidgetgh @and @Suziepeach.

Thanks @tansy. Praying the virus starts slowing down in AZ and the vaccine process goes smoothly. We haven heard anything from Emory or Kaiser so when our county offered, I was on the phone. 65 and older and first responders is the group we're in. Kaiser , I was told, has our age in the 3rd round.

Will be so happy when all of us can see and feel normal again. 🙂

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

Porcelain — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 19:54:47 GMT

@Suziepeach wrote:
@gidgetgh wrote:
@Suziepeach wrote:
@gidgetgh great on getting an appointment- Cherokee County had the same procedure, we are scheduled for Monday, 18th at noon.

@Suziepeach - I hope that when we schedule the 2nd shot, which is more time critical, that the process will be easier.
@gidgetgh I understood from the website, they'll let you know when to come back for the 2nd shot and you'll be given a vaccination card.

My experience was that they don't give you a time on the card, just a date. You do still have to set up an appointment for the second shot. They did not let us set that up right away. It was only this morning they allowed us to make the appt for the 21st. Just sharing what I've learned from experience. And of course this is for TN and other areas may very.

Re: Trying to find the Covid vaccine

DiAnne — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 23:38:54 GMT

They haven't finished with the health care workers and nursing homes here (PNW). I am concerned about that second shot - think I will wait until it gets a little more organized.