New York City eligible seniors, desperate to get the COVID-19 vaccine, said Friday they haven’t found any available slots and are fed up with Big Apple’s complicated online registration system.
Frank Rodgers, 71, of Staten Island, has repeatedly tried to make an appointment for him and his wife, 66, to get the vaccine since they were eligible earlier this month, but continues to run against the walls.
“We do not have an appointment. We don’t know where to go, “Rodgers said.” All our ways to get an appointment for the vaccine, none. “
Rodgers, a security officer at a private company, said he had tried to make an appointment at one of the city’s vaccination centers in the district.
“There was no availability,” he said. “Then it went in February, then it went in March and there was still no availability.”
In addition, Rodgers said the city’s online registration system makes the process even more difficult.
“I’m a computer expert, but there are people my age who have no idea how to go online and make an appointment. All these people are being left out, ”he said.
A 68-year-old Brooklyn resident said she “gave up” trying to get an appointment with the vaccine as the city, as well as the state, are facing a shortage of coveted coronavirus doses.
“No availability,” said Park Slope, who did not want to be identified.
The retiree echoed frustrations over the city’s buggy dating registration system.
“Anyone who has designed the program should be shot,” he said, adding that future vaccine recipients are forced to continue entering the same information whenever they try to make an appointment at one of the public or private vaccine sites that listed on the website.
Less than two weeks ago, Alyssa Alaimo, 29, helped her grandparents from Staten Island, ages 82 and 75, who had trouble navigating the city’s vaccine registration system.
“My grandmother works with a computer and Facebook and I couldn’t work [the city] place, ”Alaimo said, noting that his grandparents thought the Big Apple system for enrolling in a shot involved“ too many steps ”and that it was“ unclear ”.
“They asked me to ask them for an appointment because they didn’t know how,” Alaimo said.
Alaimo’s grandparents finally got an appointment difficult to get to inoculate them, but it was canceled as a result of the shortage of vaccine supply.
Frances Kraemer, 81, of Queens, got an appointment for the vaccine next month at Mount Sinai Hospital, but said she received an email informing her of “finding other vaccination options.” due to the limited supply of vaccines.
“It simply came to our notice then. I feel very insecure, “he said.” I’m very worried, anxious and worried. “
The city was forced this week to reschedule more than 22,000 first-dose vaccine appointments for dose shooting and close its 15 vaccination centers in the five districts until Sunday due to lack of supply.
Staten Island Councilman Joe Borelli told The Post that his father, Alex, 68, has also had trouble getting an appointment for the vaccine.
“There are just no slots or even given any options:‘ Okay, we can take you three weeks ’or whatever,” Borelli said. “You have to learn to play the system, like when you need to call.”
Borelli added, “That shouldn’t be like trying to get tickets to a Yankee playoff game.”