Eligibility for a COVID-19 vaccine in California is about to expand, but the ability to get a vaccine is still painfully slow and difficult.
Here are some specific tips that can help you get an appointment faster.
First, go online, but not just on county websites. Visit websites like vaccinehunter.org and Dr. B. Think of both as modern surveyors.
Janet Pitcher, known as “vaccine whisper,” has already helped 30 people find dates.
What is your secret? Pharmacies like Rite Aid and CVS open new appointments at 12:01 in the morning every day on their websites.
“Honestly, my main source of appointments is through real pharmacies,” Pitcher said. “They usually upload their appointments after midnight.”
You can also find appointments at places like Dr. B, which matches people looking for dosed appointments.
“It literally takes 90 seconds,” said Cyrus Massoumi, founder of Dr. B.
Simply enter your data into a computer or mobile phone. They will match you for free and will not stop you.
“He does it until every dose is talked about,” Massoumi said.
You’ll need to bookmark websites because appointments are about to be even harder to find in April, when admission expands in California.
“When Governor Newsom says things like,‘ We’re going to open up to the whole world, ’the problem is that, just as you’re describing, vaccine consultations are so scarce,” Massoumi said.
If you feel frustrated that your category has already appeared and you have not been able to fire a shot, Dr. B will prioritize making sure that elderly communities and front-line workers receive their shots.