My wife and I are both in the 50+ category and slots opened up for those this morning. So we’ve booked for this Sunday with the follow-up slots 11 weeks later in early June. (The longer period is not currently thought to detrimental to efficacy, in fact longer is likely to be better)
It has been brilliantly organised over here.
Automatic notification that the window was open, booking took 2 minutes through a centralised system, no chance of queue-jumping, everyone knows where they stand.
At the moment we’ve had 25 million 1st doses administered in the UK the equivalent of half the adult population with a very high take-up rate.
My gf got Pfizer dose one at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh yesterday. She says it was the most well organized event she ever attended, and the volunteer staff was fantastic.
I ripped her bandaid off this morning.
I just came across this site:
For other people in group 2 like me, you might be able to grab a shot early.
Massachusetts announced access for:
50+ et al. on 22 March and
45+ et al. on 5 April.
Full access for 16+ on 19 April.
This is all well and good, but I wonder whether there will be vaccine to support this rollout. It’s certainly easy to say people can make appointments, but if the supply isn’t there, that does no good.
Here’s to being hopeful. But all indicators are pointing to getting vaccinated earlier than I originally thought. (I think I estimated Late Autumn back in January)
Also, MA has switched to a push notification where you sign up in advance and when ‘your turn’ comes up they message you. I’m willing to be more patient if there is a proper virtual queue like this.
By mid-August? (I’m hoping for earlier.)
OMG! I completely muffed that. I don’t know what I was doing since I know those numbers are completely wrong. the CORRECT rollout is:
60+ et al. on 22 March and
55+ et al. on 5 April.
Full access for 16+ on 19 April.
I’m so silly.
Does this vary regionally? I have a friend CA who is very frustrated at not being able to be vaccinated, and having no idea when he will be.
The requirements don’t vary regionally - those are set by the state. But the supply of vaccine might very well vary quite a bit depending on timing. It’s being issued roughly proportionate to population I believe, but denser areas are just going to be moving slower. Also the state is now trying to prioritize poorer communities after some concern that more affluent areas were getting a healthier share of vaccinations (probably a factor of being more capable of being proactive as below). And which provider has a supply on hand and how much is also going to vary. So Sutter Health might be farther along in a given city than Kaiser Permanente or vice versa, depending on the local patient load and their respective demographics (i.e. if Kaiser has more over-75’s in their cohort they won’t have worked as far down the list). Chain pharmacies will vary widely as well. And how well organized county systems are varies substantially from county to county as I complained about above.
Right now it’s a combo of luck, accessing as many potential sources as possible, being as flexible travel-wise as possible and being savvy enough to be constantly checking and re-checking all avenues. The “system”, loosely defined, rewards being as proactive as possible.
Yes. You just need to check the websites for CVS, Walgreens, etc. You may have to drive up to an hour (if possible). Also check your local health care providers. Kaiser is supposed to be an easy way to do it and you don’t have to be a Kaiser member. My 85 year old technophobe step-mother was able to call Kaiser and easily get an appointment in Los Angeles.
Is your friend in the Bay Area? Moscone Center is a huge site that does many thousands of shots every day. Lately they’ve been opening new appointments regularly — every few days they open several hundred. That how I got my shot there yesterday.
I got super excited for a second for April 5th, even though I read the stuff earlier in the day.
So will I get a needle in my arm April 20? Perhaps. Eligible is not available. But there will be a lot fewer people I’ll be fighting with to get one.
My guess at the beginning of the thread was “between St Patrick’s Day and Easter” and while maybe I won’t be able get an appointment due to demand closer to Memorial Day, I’d have to say my guess was pretty decent.
(sorry for the deleted post. the page reloaded and ate that I was replying to a specfic post)
Sorry about that. When I went back to this thread and I saw the wrong information I was thinking, “This is wrong, who is saying this?” Then I saw it was me. 
I am…stunned. My state (WA) added a category of eligibility–I was told as of 3/22, but it turned out to be today. Within an hour this afternoon, I found out I’m officially eligible AND got an appointment for tomorrow morning! It’s like walking against the wind for a few miles and then the wind stops blowing.
I was in a meeting today in which we were told that the amount of doses available per week will double in April. Won’t that be great?
Yeah!
I’m in Santa Clara County in the bay area of California. For some reason, we’re experiencing a shortage and there are no appointments to be found other than at one or two CVS pharmacies in the Central Valley. Also, I’m only questionably able to get one at the moment. I could push the idea of obesity and an immune deficiency disease (psoriasis), but with no available appointments it’s a moot point. So it 's still a waiting game.
Are you willing/able to drive for your shot? If so, you can schedule a CVS jab anywhere in the State. They don’t care if you live in the same county. Plus, once you get your first shot, it’s very easy to re-schedule your second shot close to home.
I did a bunch of Googling this morning and, sadly, none of my ailments or deficiencies have shown to be aggravating with COVID so I still have to wait. Once they open it up to my age or profession, I am on it.
I’d check on that in your particular area before assuming it. I’m pretty sure that around here you’re supposed to get the second shot at the same place where you got the first. I think they’re allocating doses accordingly.
I know numerous people who have done it in California in the CVS system. I was specifically answering a question about California. Given that the doses are weeks apart, I assume that it’s not very difficult to adjust accordingly. I know one person who even jumped to a totally different system for their second dose. If you know of a specific case where someone tried and wasn’t allowed to do do, let us know.
Good point about having to return (or not) to the same CVS to get the second shot. I was just looking again at the health website and again there are a few appointments available at a CVS in Fresno - for tomorrow. I was just about to click to reserve one at noon when it occurred to me we’d be having to make that five-hour round trip drive again in a few weeks. My husband’s still asleep and I don’t want to commit us to these two long trips without consulting him.
Welp, I went ahead and scheduled an appointment for myself for tomorrow in Fresno, with a second appointment for mid-April. When I set up the appointment, there was a place along the process asking if I was setting up for the first jab or the second. Because it looks like I can do the process again and change to a different CVS for the second one, I went ahead with it. News reports are saying that vaccine supplies will increase in the next few weeks and it’s probable I can switch the second appointment at a nearer CVS. Maybe even not a CVS, as long as it’s the same vaccine (Moderna)? That part I don’t know.
Now to give my husband the news that we’re going to Fresno tomorrow. I’ll wait until after he drinks his coffee.