In theory California says you can make a future appointment if you don’t meet the current criteria, but in practice I’m having trouble figuring out how.
I’m really trying to get appointments ASAP for my parents, who are 63, and would be eligible April 1.
Yes. And unless she’s actually in the basement, I wouldn’t bother wearing a mask now, tbh.
I’m pretty sure that your apartment building is not air tight between floors.
Snort, I try not to think too much about the air exchange between our apartments, especially given how many repair/construction people she has in and out of her unit.
She has sometimes been in the basement while I’m doing laundry, as have workers, since she’s finishing an unfinished basement and it needs a lot of work.
I have a number that at least gets answered by a human being, so you could ask specifically. It’s worked for a few of my family members. Caveats being that they probably don’t answer on weekends and are based in Riverside County, although they didn’t seem to care to verify residency. Lmk if you’d like the number. I know it’s a journey out here to the IE.
We found that most of the retail chains and my turn added appointments around 5pm or 6pm so maybe set a reminder and look around then?
The other “trick” I’ve heard is to say 65+ in the eligiblity drop down but then put in their actual details in the patient info. I don’t think all the algorithms are updated yet to let 50-64 through.
Slight follow up - no side effects but a mildly sore arm and a little bit of extra fatigue on Friday afternoon/evening. I went and laid down for about an hour before putting the kids to bed and felt just fine.
I have joined the ranks of the partially-vaccinated - I got Moderna at the Walgreens in town. Currently the state is vaccinating 45+, which I am. I’m glad slipped in before April 1, when they open it up to everyone and the Hunger Games begin.
I can’t tell if it is psychosomatic, but my arm is already sore only a few hours later. 
I’m glad I remembered to have them do my NON-dominant arm!
Mine was sore within a few hours 
so was my husbands.
Good to know it probably isn’t all in my head!! 
Same here regarding sore arm. I’m glad you are partially vaccinated!
Mine got sore a few hours afterward and remained so for the next 2 days. Finally started feeling better yesterday. So likely not psychosomatic, unless we’re all having a shared sore-arm hallucination.
I kind of wish that states that are prioritizing people based on BMI would advertise that more and also give examples of the lowest height weight combinations that qualify. People simply don’t know, and it would be gross for people to suggest to someone that they look like someone whose BMI qualifies.
I’ve talked to so many people recently who had no idea they qualify. People have asked ME why I qualify, and when I’ve explained it’s because of my BMI and given an example of height and weight combinations that qualify, the most common reaction from people was surprise followed by them astoundedly admitting that they qualify too and that they had no idea.
Then usually the next thing they say is that they don’t want to take it away from someone who is more deserving, so are happy to wait. But in the area I’m in it’s very very evident that supply is outpacing demand. Vaccines going in the trash helps no one. BUT part of the lack of demand is that people that want vaccine don’t know they qualify.
Then the next hurdle is learning how to navigate the multitude of completely standalone lists and scheduling tools and different systems that are offering vaccines. This is an unbelievable cluster and is easily overwhelming to many people. Every time I blink there is a new place that is now offering vaccines. Maybe they know of a place that’s offering vaccines but don’t know that if they check back in 5 minutes, or tonight at 10:00, or tomorrow at 6:00 a.m., they may find that instead of waiting a month, there are hundreds of appointments available today/tomorrow/this week.
A lot of places seem to add same day appointments or appointments for the next week as they find out their vaccine allotment or that they are suddenly getting more than expected, which is frustrating to people who are on top of things and schedule an appointments early on only to realize that they would have been better off procrastinating a bit and could have gotten a sooner or more geographically accessible appointment). Or if they simply click “refresh” a few times, they’ll find an appointment that somebody recently canceled.
It’s simultaneously too hard and too easy to find appointments; there are seemingly too many different places offering them in some areas, and vaccine deserts on others. Timing and location and knowing that they qualify and knowing where to look and having the resources to look is everything.
I agree with all of this.
And here, whether or not you qualify depends on where you’re getting the vaccine - not even where you live. The rules vary so widely, and here seem to be changing so frequently, it’s no wonder that so many people are confused or don’t realize they are eligible.
A small town a few hours out of the city is actually allowing walk-in appointments now for literally anyone, and is having a hard time filling appointments. I suspect because few know about it? Someone said in the FB group that folks at the clinic have asked group members to publicize that vaccines are available there “because we aren’t allowed to.” WHAT? Why the secret? Shots in arms, people!
This reminds me, I want to call my local health department and ask what they’ve done to work with the meat packing plant where a bad outbreak occurred early in the pandemic. I’m hoping the answer is that shots were offered on site. An outbreak there contributed to a huge outbreak in a zip code with high poverty and crowded housing where many of the workers live.
I think I will also ask what their engagement has been with group homes in the area.
It’s been pretty clear in Iowa that over 80% of the population are eligible due to the expanded requirements (mainly…BMI).
Here, I think low demand is because people don’t want it, not because they don’t know they are eligible.
But finding an appointment if you don’t have time to navigate the complicated system to book or don’t have transportation is hard. They are hard to find in the larger cities, and easy to find in rural areas.
CT has received one of the FEMA mobile vaccination trailers (the first one apparently!) and has already scheduled a clinic using it (well, I think scheduling and logistics has been in the works for weeks in anticipation of this). Although we are one of the top states in the nation for speed and efficiency of vaccine distribution, people in disadvantaged communities (mainly inner city) have not had equal access (for a number of reasons), so the trailers will be used in communities high on the social vulnerability index to go directly to the people to help ease transportation barriers. This is great news. It feels a little strange, since we are doing so well with the rollout, but maybe it’s because we are doing so well with the rollout that they decided to start with states with well-established systems in place?
To summarize for anyone paywalled, they compared the number of infections in frontline workers who did and did not get the vaccine. They chose this group because they were regularly exposed, and also because they were regularly tested to catch asymptomatic cases too. There was an 80% reduction in infections after the first dose, and 90% after the second. The numbers are pretty stark: 3 of 2,479 fully vaccinated people had confirmed cases, while 161 of 994 unvaccinated people tested positive.
It mirrors studies done in a few other countries to confirm the vaccine is indeed providing protection in the real world.
Per CDC guidelines, I believe so. Does your landlord have anyone else in her household who isn’t vaccinated?
That would be so helpful! I don’t think I would have been able to find that information if I didn’t know to look for it.
I was looking on behalf of my husband; phase 2B, including adults with health conditions that increase risk, opens tomorrow in Maryland and there is a vaccine clinic in our town on Wednesday. He appears to qualify so I signed him up, though he probably won’t get a spot since they are prioritizing earlier phases.
Her partner doesn’t live here but is over a lot, and she has a constant parade of repair people in and out of her unit all the time. I don’t know the vaccination status of any of these people.
I hope your husband is able to get in!
Omg that is just…so uplifting.