How to Find a COVID-19 Vaccine

If you’re reading this, you’re likely eligible or know someone who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s also likely that you’re experiencing difficulty in obtaining it. Depending on your state or location in your state, you may be facing seemingly insurmountable hurdles. I feel your pain. I was at the end of my rope just a few days ago after hours and hours of clicking on fruitless links.

Welcome to The Vaccine Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favor.

If the odds elude, here’s a some information on how to win. There are a lot of ways to crack this nut and you may need to try them all and that may take time so prepare yourself for battle. Start by searching Facebook for a COVID Vaccine group in your state. There are people in these groups who are willing to help. They’re are people who can help less tech savvy or tech connected folks access appointments and there are people sharing crucial real time information. If you have a family member who needs help, people called seekers are volunteering to secure appointments. In the PA group I joined, people shared updates about the pharmacies and other providers when appointments dropped. I live in Eastern PA, and for some reason (which I’d still like to understand), the four counties surrounding Philadelphia and the two around Lancaster and Reading have received a paltry amount of vaccines, while smaller rural counties and the folks in the Western half of the state around Pittsburgh have received the bulk of the supply. Philadelphia is working directly with the feds and bypassing the state intervention.

I started with my insurer, but nothing was happening on that front. From there, my attempts to sign up for appointments through various pharmacy websites proved fruitless and frustrating. Why was it so hard to find a vaccine? Why was my state 48 out of 50 for vaccine distribution? Why was my county (the 6th largest in PA) 45th out of 67 for vaccine distribution? Why were there such glaring inequities statewide? I have my theories based on a little research, but I was not going to be deterred.

I do know that there are lots of good people out there trying to help people access vaccines. I know that I would not have found mine without these resources. Here’s a list of resources and some advice for whatever it’s worth.

1. Carve out some time to dedicate to this endeavor daily. You may have to get up early or stay up late. Have ALL of your insurance information handy, fill out anything you can fill out for each provider before you start searching. Set up auto-fill for your name, address, etc. in your browser. It’s okay to select no information on insurance, you can provide it at your appointment and those saved seconds may make the difference.
2. Use your desktop instead of a cell phone. Keep VaxxMax (RiteAid and Walgreens) and VaccineFinder (CDC tool) open in your browser, as they will update regularly throughout the day and you can copy and paste the address of the locations with vaccines into the corresponding pharmacy websites. Unfortunately these appointments fill up in seconds, so the more prepared you are, the better your chances. Check out this YouTube Video with Kris Slevens with tips on techniques and apps you can use for better traction. He’s a COVID appointment seeking rockstar.
3. Pharmacies drop vaccines in batches, usually around the same times every day. Find out what times batches drop in each pharmacy or location, so you can be at your computer and ready to book your appointment. Also, be willing to travel a little if possible. You should be able to find out what’s going on in your state at various providers in your Facebook group. Open tabs with the different pharmacies offering COVID vaccines on your computer. When you find an opening through your Facebook group or the vaccine finding websites, copy the address, refresh your browser, input the location, and hope you make it in before the appointments are filled. I was able to get an appointment at a vaccine event near me for myself and some high risk family members because of a post in the Facebook group I joined.
4. Don’t give up, even if you feel defeated. You’ll get a vaccine eventually, and sooner if you’re tenacious.
5. Make sure to look to your state and county health departments for updates and assistance, also check your local and regional news stations and papers.
6. Good RX has offers a COVID-19 vaccine guide. AARP has a state by state COVID-19 Distribution plan guide.

Once you secure an appointment, it may mean being around a lot of other people. I’ve been mostly at home for the past year. I plan on wearing a good quality mask that offers me protection while I wait for my vaccine. N-95s are still hard to obtain, but we ordered these NF-95 masks from Filti, an American manufacturer. They’re excellent masks, well-made, comfortable, well-fitting, and as a person with compromised lungs, I appreciate that they make it easier for me to breathe while wearing them. I do not have any relationship with this company, I’m just sharing to help folks get better protection.

It’s absurd that we live in the world’s richest country and we have to scramble for vaccines to fight this pandemic, but here we are. If you want to get vaccinated, you’ll need to be persistent. Don’t give up, and know that eventually it will get easier.

May the odds be ever in your favor.