Virtual Treasure Hunt

If you are shopping for a vaccine appointment in Massachusetts -pack your sense of humor, lower your expectations and bring a six pack of patience along, as well. This is a treasure hunt where the clues and rules change daily, sometimes hourly. If you like games where you are led around blind folded and try to figure out where you are going – you’re going to love this one.

It’s bedlam out there. Misinformation, buggy technology, and multiple contractors and platforms are contributing to the chaos.

It’s like looking for a prize in a box of cracker Jacks or Willy Wonka’s golden ticket.

I have been receiving emails since the end of 2020 urging me and reminding me to be vaccinated. None of these emails direct you on how to actually obtain a vaccine.

Here’s one scenario – When I called my cancer center in January to reschedule a radiology appointment, they asked me if I had been vaccinated yet. No. They gave me a number to call to schedule an vaccine appointment. When I called that number, the receptionist told me I had to email and ask for an appointment. When I emailed to ask for an appointment I received a reply that they weren’t making appointments anymore:) You can’t help but laugh out loud at that

Next, I started receiving emails from hospitals who had been urging me to get it vaccinated in 2020 that they weren’t getting more doses come February 11th. Way to start a panic – Governor Baker. The email directs you to Mass Gov link and then this happens:

Again, I laughed out loud when I got this message – The fun never stops:)-

Every website has their own set up- with names like PrepMod, Curative & Color. Then there are the pharmacy chains and grocery store pharmacies. Some tell you they have appointments available and then you fill out your information and when you hit the schedule button, you’re told that there are no appointments available. Other websites direct you to this big map of the United States and you select your state and they list all of the places in your state that will be offering vaccinations but they are all fully booked. It’s sort of informative to learn about where sites are located.

It was so bad, that programmers at home started creating sites showing availability just for kicks.

For whatever reason the appointments are released on Thursdays at 8:00 am and this past Thursday the state site crashed at 8:01 AM. Seriously, who is running this show?

It kind of reminds you of trying to buy tickets to a blockbuster show or concert. You just keep hitting refresh and try again, refresh and try again, try different dates, refresh and try again until maybe you have success and maybe you don’t. I don’t think we are competing with scalpers – yet. I don’t play the lottery or slots machines, but obviously whoever designed this system is a fan.

Monty Python or SNL could not have made this stuff up.

When you start hearing about people getting the wrong dosage, you start to wonder if really the state is doing you a favor. Why not wait until everyone is up to speed and knows the difference between the different vials? Coronavirus to date has proved to be a sort Russian Roulette – some people die, some people don’t even know they have it, while other end up hospitalized for months, – so I don’t know why I expected the vaccine distribution to be less chaotic.

Massachusetts is now telling eligible residents that they can expect to wait up to a month to be able to make an appointment which should be plenty of time for everyone to figure out a better plan

For now, I am filing this under problems we are lucky to have.

With thanks to all the Marines, the National Guard and all other medical volunteers, as well as the state administrators – even you, Governor Baker (did you really run Harvard Pilgrim?) – that are working frantically and tirelessly to put needles in arms. I appreciate your efforts despite the comedic roll out.

A special shout out to Council on Aging volunteers helping seniors navigate the technology disconnect between access and end user.

February 25 update

Today the sites have set up queues. At Curative there were 99,976 people in line ahead of me for 2500 spots. Wait time -over an hour:). Disclaimer “due to high demand and very limited supply, there is(sic) only a small number of appointments available.”

The Natick Mall – showed availability, but when you clicked on the slots – the appointments were no longer available.

Over at MassVax – Waiting times jumped around 28 minutes to 10 minutes to 8 minutes back to 28 minutes and so on – and then all the slots were gone – I think they might be confusing minutes with months……

I had three devices going – computer, tablet and phone – hoping one might be a winner – but not today….. I may need to find another six pack of patience and humor….

February 27 update

Finally found an appointment through CVS.COM. When I entered my ZIP Code it said there were no appointments available. When I just entered MA as an abbreviation for Massachusetts – a site popped up and I clicked and assume I snagged a cancellation. It’s funny to be this excited about getting a shot. For the first time in 11 months – I am feeling like I might be seeing light at the end of this tunnel.

The other good news is that hospitals are going to be receiving vaccines again. I had an email this week from my hospital that they would be calling texting or emailing me with an appointment in March.

So perseverance finally paid off for me. I wish everyone out there the same success. Here’s hoping the state site improves so others going forward will be able to sign up with ease.

Keep staying safe out there

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