While the supply of vaccines is increasing over time, demand still outstrips what’s available in many places, especially in densely populated areas. People in big cities have likened the attempt to get a vaccination appointment to buying tickets online for a very popular band. (Do you remember those days?)
Here are tips to help you get fully vaccinated – and get your life back to normal than it has likely been for over a year.
You almost always need an appointment, and a good starting point for making one is your state or province’s health department. This CNN article contains links to the websites of all states’ health departments, along with phone numbers and email addresses to contact if you have any questions.
Another good place to start is with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Covid-19 Vaccine Finder, or by using the portal to link to your state or territory’s health department.
Pharmacies that vaccinate also have their own scheduling websites. For example, the CVS site will tell you where vaccine is available. So if it’s not available in your city, our county at the time you try to book an appointment, it could be in an adjacent area.
You asked, we answer: your top questions about Covid-19 and vaccines
Availability changes quickly so if you find an available slot, book it before anyone else does. Make sure to cancel your appointment if you can’t keep it so someone else can get it.
Pharmacies also offer end-of-the-day vaccines because people don’t show up for appointments to adults who want them. A pharmacist at a Walmart in the Atlanta area said recently that all of his employees have been vaccinated, thanks in large part to leftover doses, and are now offering them to others who are there at the right time at the end of the day. A nearby Kroger pharmacy said it keeps a list of people who want to be called if there is any leftover vaccine.
Social media can help with this. Facebook, owner of Instagram and WhatsApp, recently rolled out a number of tools to help people get vaccinated, including the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information Center.
And of course you can use social media sites to crowdsource information. Search Facebook for private groups near you dedicated to finding and getting vaccinated. Some people have reported that their neighbors on the Nextdoor app helped them find vaccination appointments.
You may have to travel to get a chance
If you can travel, slots are almost always more available in the countryside if they are hard to find in a city. In Georgia, for example, it can be difficult to get an appointment in the Atlanta area, but there are plenty of appointments for the next few days in the countryside south of the state.
Announcing a federal program to ship vaccine doses directly to pharmacies in addition to US states and territories, White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said pharmacies “are easily accessible in most communities, with most Americans within five miles from a pharmacy. “
However, some rural areas do not have a nearby pharmacy and residents may need to look for mobile vaccination clinics in their area. The recently adopted US rescue plan includes a national vaccination program that will fund mobile units for hard-to-reach areas.
The key is to be patient, flexible and determined. Sooner or later you will get an appointment.
What to do while waiting in line to get vaccinated
So now you have an appointment. You’re so close to getting that first or, better yet, your last dose.
But what if there is a really long line of people once you get there? Make sure to bring a phone, tablet, or laptop to avoid getting bored with boredom.
Other ideas include documenting your vaccination experience or planning how you will use your freedom once you are fully vaccinated.
When was the last time you were in a crowd this size? Maybe you can take the opportunity to make a new friend.
In this article you will find a long list of other ideas.
Welcome to the club of the fully vaccinated
Do you have your vaccinations? Congratulations! Go cuddle a grandchild. Hug a vaccinated friend. Invite friends who are fully vaccinated and visit without masks. Visit others in their homes, as long as they are not considered particularly vulnerable if they were to get Covid-19.
If you’ve been exposed to someone with Covid-19, you can skip quarantine once you’ve been fully vaccinated.
If you are one of many who has had Covid-19 and are still experiencing symptoms, some so-called long-distance travelers report that their symptoms have decreased or even disappeared after vaccination.
As some have said, immunization is a psychological game-changer: you may feel like a weight has been lifted.
And who doesn’t long to travel again? Some destinations open to those who have been vaccinated.
Just remember it will take two weeks after your last injection to be fully immunized.
And don’t throw your mask away just yet. You still need to protect those around you who have not yet been vaccinated. While some studies indicate that immunized people don’t spread the virus, it’s still not certain.
