The province has contracted CuraPatient to develop the app, which will also be used to track side effects that may come from the vaccinations.
After OC became eligible for residents 65 and older on Tuesday, the system was overwhelmed with people trying to get appointments to the point where people could no longer register. Messages, phone calls and emails have come in with complaints in Eyewitness News.
According to the OC Health Care Agency, 10,000 people were able to get an appointment overnight on Tuesday. Some of those are Marvel Bartley’s friends.
RELATED: Disneyland hosts Orange County’s first mass vaccination site
“They’ve been really successful. They’ve gone to Disneyland and found that it might take an hour, which isn’t bad at all, so I don’t think it’s a total disaster, but I think it’s a challenge,” Bartley said. .
Bartley was eligible for the vaccination as part of the age group 65 and older, but as of Friday afternoon, she could only enroll on Othena. Bartley said she would keep trying to get an appointment. She said patience and persistence were key.
“I think that’s necessary,” Bartley said.
Bartley and others who were able to register shared the messages they received stating that they were not eligible for appointments (even though they were all over the age of 65), that no slots were available or confirmed appointments, but no date, time and location.
Joseph McFaul said he moved too slowly when given the chance and the opportunity to accept a time.
RELATED: OC residents 65 and older can now get the COVID-19 vaccine
“I quickly went down to ‘accept’ that appointment and as soon as I clicked it it said no appointments were available,” said McFaul.
Adding to the frustration is that many in the age group 65 and older may not be familiar with or have access to technology.
According to estimates by the US Census, 14% of the 3.2 million inhabitants of OC belong to this age group.
Census trail data estimates indicate that in OC District 5, about 110,000, or 17.5% of about 620,000 people are 65 or older. District 5 Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said this technology was still the most efficient route.
“If you’re considering vaccinating the population of 65 and older in our province and showing the aging demographics, that’s a huge population and we want to vaccinate that population in the most efficient way and get everyone through the Othena vaccination process. Going through to schedule appointments is really the most efficient way to get everyone registered, get all the information collected in one data repository and schedule appointments, “Bartlett said.
Bartlett asked residents to keep trying as new hookups opened daily and said live chat would be available soon for help.
McFaul appreciated the challenge of the task, but said the bugs should have been fixed before going live.
“By having an average person try to use it and see what obstacles they face, I think if they had just done those things, they would have had a better system right away,” said McFaul.
The OCHCA director asked Orange County supervisors Tuesday to find communities in their districts with large numbers of seniors who may not be able to access the Disneyland Super POD. The agency will send mobile PODs to these areas on Sunday to vaccinate people, rotating locations weekly.
Appointments for these Sunday mobile PODs do not go through Othena. Instead, those who are interested can contact their district overseer’s office.
Copyright © 2021 KABC-TV. All rights reserved.