Vaccine appointments: This year's toilet paper.

[GGD]

I've been remotely (from CA) trying to get my 91 year old mother who lives alone in NYC vaccinated for a few weeks now, and it's been a pretty much impossible task to find any available appointments. Making it worse, the city and state government websites are very poorly designed and you need to go through a huge number of steps just to see that there are no appointments available.

But finally today she got her first dose of Moderna and has an appointment for the second dose in 4 weeks.

This was accomplished in a totally NYC way "I know a guy...", but no rules were violated or laws broken.

On Saturday afternon I got a tip from a good friend of mine that reliable sources said that the vaccine site closest to my mom was unable to administer a lot of doses that day, and it was highly likely that late in the evening they will be opening up a large number of appointments for the next day (today).

So it was like the old days of watching the Apple Refurb store waiting for them to update stock, I kept checking to see if appointments appeared, and after a several hours, Sunday showed up with lots of availablity, 4-6 appointments available for each 10 minute interval until their 6PM closing time.

Then lots of phone calls with my friend and my sister from out of state to see if they could help take mom there and back during one of these times. 4:40 PM was the agreed upon time, some more online paperwork to be completed, and finally received the QR Code needed for admission.


My wife got her first dose of Moderna on Saturday morning, getting that appointment was much easier. I had seen the announcement that the appointment system for the provider we use would be dropping the age requirement from 75+ to 65+ on Jan 20th. So starting at midnight I kept checking the appointment site, but it continued to show 75+. This happened to be Inauguration Day, and during the coverage they updated the system to 65+ and I was able to book an appointment for just 10 days later. And after receiving the shot they made the appointment for the second dose exactly 4 weeks later, pretty much to the minute, they wouldn't let her take a time slot 5 minutes earlier, saying it was too soon.


I'm still trying to make an appointment for myself, I tried to make one for the day of my 65th birthday, but the appointment system doesn't go beyond mid-March and I need a few more months. So I keep checking for my county to transition from Phase 1b to 1c, which is when the age drops to 50 or for appointments to become available on my birthday.

[Ombligo]

My mother got her first Moderna shot today. Around 11am I got an unexpected phone call from a friend that there had been a number of no-shows at the vaccination center and to bring her in at noon. I was told to expect a letter with her second appointment info, but if it doesn't come to just bring her in after the 28th

[Buzz]

Congrats to NY boroughed Mama. Har work paid off. Sutter has NorCal all f'ed, my condolences. It's a fair bit better down here; at least they let you schedule the second appt any time on it due date. BTW; best subject of the week.
==

[mrbigstuff]

Yeah, we are trying to get our parents an appointment. Ironically enough, it may be easiest to get an appt at Fenway Park, given that they hope to do 1k shots per day there.

[RgrF]

After weeks of futile attempts, finally landed an appointment for wife and I here in the San Fernando Valley tomorrow.

[rgG]

Glad you got your mom her shot.
My 89 year old mom finally got her first shot on the 19th.

[Janit]

I got my first Moderna shot today in NJ. It was originally scheduled for tomorrow but the expected show storm prompted them to turn tomorrow into today. Arm is a bit achy, but otherwise fine.

[MartyStickle]

Our county in NC opened up appointment making on Jan. 7th. The phone number was unreachable that day (no surprise), so wife and I drove down to the Board of Health in Asheville and just walked in. Sure, you can make appointments they said and within 10 minutes had appts for the 14th. After the 7th, they began to prohibit coming to the B of H to make appts. But we got our Pfizer shots on the 14th and last week got a call with appts for our second shots this Thursday, exactly 3 weeks later. We feel very fortunate. Others around here are having a much more difficult time. Good luck to you’all out there in Covidland.

[Acer]

Arm is a bit achy

After my last tetanus shot, the tech recommended that I massage the injection sight thoroughly several times over the next couple of hours. Seemed to help prevent any lasting soreness. The Mrs. didn't get that advice (again, tetanus, not covid vacc), and her arm was sore for a couple days.

[rgG]

Acer wrote:

Arm is a bit achy

After my last tetanus shot, the tech recommended that I massage the injection sight thoroughly several times over the next couple of hours. Seemed to help prevent any lasting soreness. The Mrs. didn't get that advice (again, tetanus, not covid vacc), and her arm was sore for a couple days.

They told my friend to move her arm a lot, after her Covid vaccine, to help prevent soreness. I did that to help mine. My arm was pretty sore on day one, but was fine by day three. I did put the heating pad on it the night of day one.