If you, like most, have not scored an appt for vaccination, this NBC article may explain.

[Grasswire2]

[link:https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/federal-vaccine-retail-rollout-has-high-demand-some-glitches-n1258268|


snip

However, high demand for the shots and some technical glitches on the appointment websites mean some Americans found it difficult to book their vaccine appointment.

Allison McLean, a remote worker from Grand Island, New York, said she spent a full day trying to book appointments at Walgreens for her in-laws, but could not because no second dose slots were available and both must be booked at the same time.

“I had it up on my screen most of the day, but people don't have that kind of time to sit and wait,” she told NBC News.

Technical glitches hamstrung eager shot seekers from Colorado to Ohio to Florida to New Jersey. In Cleveland, Walgreens mistakenly canceled appointments for hundreds. In Colorado, some customers were unable to book both appointments at the same time. Some customers who live near state borders in Massachusetts found the CVS website would only allow them to book an appointment by crossing state lines, which is not allowed. The retailers said they were working on the technical hiccups.

Reached for comment about the glitches, CVS spokesman Mike DeAngelis said in an email that vaccination appointments, "were filled quickly due to the limited supply we received" and that more will open "as soon as we receive more vaccine." Walgreens did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment.

more at link

Pharmacies aren't getting very many doses!

"The new program has already shipped 1 million new doses to retail pharmacies, in addition to the amount already received from any state allocation. Around 6,500 more stores have been added.

CVS, Walgreens and independent pharmacies plan to add more capacity as more doses become available. So far, demand is far outstripping supply.

Appointments are fully booked in 17 of the 18 states where CVS is offering vaccinations, according to its website Thursday.

Walgreens has already administered all the doses from its first allocation, a spokesman said Tuesday, and is on track to receive 180,000 doses per week."

[liberal N proud]

1. I was having difficulty until I was awake at 2 am

Thanks to insomnia I was able to get an appointment when earlier in the evening I could not.

[MLAA]

2. Here's the key to success I have found to get appointments for 12 friends/family

Try all approved private sites (CVS, Walgreens, Safeway-Albertsons, Frys-Kroger or your geographic equivalents) many times throughout the day. Appointments are opened up a day or two at a time at random times throughout the day/night.

I’ve had to look at all 4 sites anywhere between 10-30 times a day depending on the day to get appointments.

[LisaL]

4. Yep, they open up randomly throughout the day or night.

If you look on a pharmacy site and don't see appointments, don't assume you won't see them 15 minutes later.

[Dream Girl]

5. Sunday mornings are a good time to check...seems like more days are opened up.

[Grasswire2]

7. as the article says, few people have time to do that.

The system is weighted against people who don't have time, or DON'T HAVE ACCESS.

Hard to believe, I know, but many people throughout the land don't have internet capability.

And many people are working two jobs and just can't do what you suggest.

Who is getting left behind here? Who is looking out for them?

[Celerity]

8. Internet access should be a right. It would be almost impossible to live without it here in Sweden.

Cash is almost never used, they have closed down so many Bankomats. It is extraordinarily hard to deposit cash. 15,000 sek (around 1,768 USD at current FOREX) is max per a 30 rolling day period you can deposit into a Bankomat (ATM). Most banks no longer accept cash deposits in a branch, have not done so for years. Strict limits on cash withdrawls too. Cash is very frowned upon here in many places. It carries a stigma now of illegality with many people. The beggars here (hardly any left atm due to COVID) sometimes have (not joking) card swipe machines, or a bank account and tell people to SWISH (insta pay from your bank account) them from their phone.

I have never seen a personal cheque used here. They are not allowed at most places. Did see an American tourist go bonkers in a resto because they refused to take a personal cheque (and on top of it, the cheque was drawn on a US bank, so wtf did they expect anyway, lol).

It is all electronic and web (especially mobile web) based for almost everything in life here. Unlike the US, the poor and elderly get free access and free computers. If a person is too old and/or disabled, their care worker helps them (or of course a family member if they have one.)

[MLAA]

9. Indeed. That's why I helped friends and friends of friends who worked or weren't

handy with computers.

[LisaL]

3. My philosophy was, if at first you don't succeed, try and try again.

Appointments were being added throughout the day and evening.

[Walleye]

6. I got both my shots, Pfizer, Giant supermarket pharmacy

It was pure luck. I was there filling a prescription and people were showing up for shots so I got in line. It was OK I didn’t have an appointment because not everybody showed up. They said they would call me back for the second shot and they did and I got it right on time. I feel very lucky. They have to use up all their vaccine and they weren’t too strict about checking to see if you had an appointment.