My state is down near the bottom in vaccine distributions. It is SO annoying and frustrating. Because the state decided to decentralize the vaccine distribution, many people like me are spending every day chasing rumors and catching glimpses just as the unicorn vanishes around a corner up ahead.
I am not terrified of getting the virus but I would like to avoid dying from it. I know that “normal life” requires herd immunity. My only risk factors are being old and fat, so I’m towards the bottom of the first priority group. And so I’m not desperate to get vaccinated, but I want to be responsible, pay attention, and take my turn when it’s available. That was my calm and rational approach to this a few weeks ago. And then chaos broke out.
There are literally 8 different possible distribution channels I need to monitor, not just daily, but multiple times a day. Twice in the last week I got to a website that had appointments available when I started to register, and then all slots were gone before I finished the process. And these were slots I had pre-registered for. And most people in my same situation are also going for the same multiple different channels, so each channel is having to deal with the whole eligible population of the state instead of just a sub-section. There are strong dis-incentives to be a good little citizen and just wait your turn, versus clogging the system by all jumping on at the same time.
There is no confidence that any place I’m pre-registered for will actually send me information about available slots when they have them - so I go out there and shake the trees.
In my more charitable moments I chuckle and say “it’s like trying for Hamilton tickets!”. But honestly, it’s a clusterfuck of inefficienc;y. Not incompetence, not at any one place, but in the choices made at the beginning of how to approach this. It angers me, because they had more than half a year to build a better plan.
Truly, if I had an appointment I knew would be honored, and that appointment was a month or two away, I’d be much happier right now than I am.
3 comments:
Nan, it sounds awful. I'm so sorry you have to go through this. NY has not been perfect, but it sounds better than what you describe. Most peeps that I know over 65 have gotten it or are scheduled. They just opened it to peeps with co-morbidities (a HUGE list). Under that list C, F and my Sister and BIW have appts..all in March, but not bad.
Frustrating, for sure. Keep us posted.
Cosign, but set my sights lower. I hope to be vaccinated by Labor Day. Will expend zero time trying to get vaccinated before August. Hogan and his flipflopping on whether he's a leader or a republican put us here... I wish you could run this, Nan.
Liz
Nan, I know what you mean. I registered my name with my doctor’s office but figured low likelihood. (Never did hear back from them yet but my sister did hear from her medical practice in CT.)
Then, when I kept trying to get a vaccine appt, I accidentally got a COVID test appt instead, at the Veterans Building in Newark, which I did not want, need or get.
There were two buttons and in my eagerness, I must have pressed the “schedule a test” one at some point.
I know how frustrating this is, and I hope it smoothes out. LOVE Alice
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