Residents disappointed with the COSA registration process for the Covid-19 vaccine

Saint Anthony – Thousands of residents were disappointed Saturday morning after learning that the 9,000 slots were filled within minutes of trying to register online for the Covid-19 vaccine at the Alamodome vaccination site.

“At 8:58, 8:59, I had a coffee in my hand, sitting in front of the computer all ready with my hands on the keyboard ready to sign in,” said Arlene Converse, 71. “I logged in and the site didn’t load and then around 9:02, it loaded and when it loaded, bam! Immediately, the registration is complete.”

The 9,000 spaces available for next week were taken within six minutes of the registry opening, according to city officials. More than 11,000 people were on the city’s registration website when it opened at 9 p.m.

The Alamodome vaccination site will begin administering them on Monday.

Converse became eligible to get the vaccine after phase 1B was launched on January 4th. He has been struggling to get anywhere near the vaccine.

“I was very prepared and excited when I found out about this registration process,” Converse said. “It seemed to me that they finally hit the nail on the head. That’s what everyone wanted, but it also seemed to fail again. “

He said it was an uphill battle going through the other steps.

“We tried everything when they came out with the design in San Antonio,” Converse said. “No one answered the phones. None of the websites would work. They were not configured for any queries or logs. Any phone calls we made the week before failed. They were overwhelmed, so they couldn’t answer all the calls and the websites weren’t set up to answer questions. “

Converse said he had a moment of hope, but he also went south.

“I managed to get a person on the phone on January 4,” Converse said. “A real human being. Come find out, I didn’t answer first, so I was told I couldn’t get it. I mention to the lady that she had the same eligibility as the first person who responded from January 4, but they would not. That added to the frustration. “

Converse said his biggest problem is that there seems to be a lack of communication.

“We have no idea of ​​the state of anything,” Converse said. “We are very disappointed because there is no one to talk to or ask for information. I know some places are annoying for people to show up and queue up without calling, but they do it because no one answers the phones. They hope to get information or possibly get the vaccine. “

Converse said getting the COVID-19 vaccine is so important to her.

“Getting the vaccine means I can get on with my life,” Converse said. “I just spent a year of my life sitting alone. I haven’t been with my grandchildren. I spent Christmas alone. I didn’t go anywhere for Thanksgiving. I had a friend invite me, but I didn’t go. We are so convinced that if we go out and go anywhere that we are so susceptible to the virus, it is important that I continue with my life to get back in touch with the people I care about and be able to see them. “.

He said he encourages everyone to try the vaccine as well.

“Although many people are hesitant to take this vaccine, which I fully understand. I’m not excited about getting a vaccine, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to have a vaccine that would get us back to a normal lifestyle. “

Converse said she is especially concerned about the elderly during this process.

“I work full time, I’m 71, I’m healthy and I’m a tech person,” Converse said. “But there are a lot of old people who don’t have technological experience. They cannot download applications to their phones or connect to their computer to sign in. Then their grandchildren fall for them, but this can be difficult because their family members have their own lives, jobs and things to worry about. Communication is broken. There needs to be a better way to register. “

As more vaccines arrive in the city of San Antonio and Bexar County, registration openings will be more available. For now, city officials are urging patients among residents as more vaccines become available.

“We received 187,000 calls and an overwhelming number of visits to the website at 9am today,” Erik Walsh, the city’s manager, said in a statement. “Thank you for your patience. We understand that some may be frustrated because no more doses are available, but we are sending the message to state leaders that we are equipped to administer all the doses we receive. We look forward to starting our operation on Monday and will continue. informed the community as we receive more information from the state ”.

Those who are eligible to receive the vaccines include health care workers and residents in long-term care centers, known as Phase 1A and Phase 1B, which includes residents over the age of 65 or residents aged 16 and over with a chronic disease.

These chronic medical conditions include: cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), heart disease, solid organ transplantation, obesity and severe obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease and type 2 diabetes.

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