Q: Why is it like this? And what are older adults supposed to do if they don’t have someone to help them?
A: We know it feels like Hunger Games, Senior Edition in many places right now.
Many states and counties are still figuring out vaccine scheduling and delivery systems. It will get better, but it’s going to take a while. Be patient, and try to help if you can.
We knew it was going to be a Herculean effort: Getting a newly-authorized vaccine manufactured in huge quantities, allocated to state and local health departments, distributed to those entities, delivered to vaccine providers, and then finally administered to individuals. Whew!
Add to that huge challenge just a few more: Managing local priority schemes (who should get the vaccine first), uncertain vaccine supplies coming from the Federal government, the Presidential transition, the added urgency of new variants coming on the scene, and commitments to make the vaccine roll-out equitable and transparent.
All that means that, in many places, getting an eligible older adult scheduled for a vaccination appointment is really, really, hard. Complicated web portals, phone lines that don’t get answered, flip-flop announcements from health care entities about availability, and fully-booked appointment sites have created massive confusion and frustration. Many people have spent countless hours try to “crack the code” to get older vulnerable family members scheduled. And older adults who don’t have support are at an even greater disadvantage.
Nerdy Girl Alison Buttenheim tweeted about this recently (link below) and got a tidal wave of comments capturing the level of frustration. Some excerpts:
Cassandra in North Carolina: “I spent several hours helping my in-laws get appointments which were suddenly cancelled over the weekend because our state ran out of vaccines. Plus, there weren’t announcements about when groups were eligible and I happened to see on social media.”
Brianna: “Spent over 4 hours TODAY ALONE trying to get my type 1 (diabetic, hypertensive, 85 year old) beloved grandma an appointment. No luck yet.”
Karen from Sacramento: “My mom (85) and her hubby (92) don’t have internet or access to an online app. I dial and redial and redial throughout the day, 7 days a week.”
TDCS from Florida: “It’s ridiculous. Trying to hook up as many people with vaccine appointments as possible. Hunger Games for 80 yr olds. That’s not a great way to run a railroad, let alone a state. But here we are.”
Is there any state or county that’s getting it right? Two tweets from Indiana suggest something’s working there!
John from Indiana: “Maybe I got into Indiana’s appointment system early, but I have to say that I was impressed. A couple weeks ago, it took me 2 minutes to find out that my mom was qualified for the vaccine, and 3 minutes to book it for her. I know that’s not the general experience nationwide.”
Liane from Indiana: “I too found Indiana system very easy to use. At least here, there is one state run site to book appointments across the whole state. I am still chasing a vaccine in NC and SC where you need to register in as many counties as possible to get a vaccine appointment.”
When will this get better?!? Three emerging trends should move us in the right direction soon:
1. States and localities will be getting larger and more predictable vaccine allocations and deliveries, according to announcements from the Biden administration today (link below).
2. Local vaccine providers are rapidly innovating to improve the scheduling process, making it accessible, easy, transparent, and trusted. Minnesota, for example, is trying a lottery-based scheduling process for seniors (see link below) to avoid log jams.
3. More mass vaccination clinics will be coming on line. We know from other vaccination campaigns that mass clinics are efficient and accessible. While we hope that many people will eventually get vaccinated through their doctor’s office if they have a regular source of care, mass clinics can play an important role during roll out. See stories linked below about mass clinics in Massachusetts and Washington State, both run through public-private partnerships.
Tell us about your experiences — good or bad! — getting a vaccination appointment for yourself or for an older family member below!
Links:
Tweet thread on time spent making appointments for others
Biden administration announces new vaccine purchases
