‘Extremely limited’ COVID vaccine appointments gone in 17 minutes. Here’s the reaction
Jackson Health System announced at 8:25 a.m. Tuesday on Twitter and Instagram it would start accepting COVID vaccine appointments again “shortly” for Florida residents 65 and over.
The tweet printed the site https://jacksonhealth.org/keeping-you-safe/ that you need to log on to to book that coveted slot.
But by 8:42 a.m., the dreaded “all available COVID-19 appointments have been filled” social media post followed.
That’s 17 minutes between postings.
Naturally, that fast turnaround led to many frustrated people. Slots for the 1,000 or fewer appointments have been filling lately as fast as 8 minutes into the 15-minute range.
You seem to need a trigger finger on a game show buzzer like on “Jeopardy” to secure your response to manage winning this, well, lottery.
“I was in the website as soon as appointments were announced and was unable to get one. Appointments are being grabbed faster than one can type,” Maria Compres tweeted at Jackson at 8:45 a.m.
Augusto Perera posted a GIF-like look at the screens on his smartphone that go from open to close and thinks “someone is playing the system when nobody can get appointments.” He wants Jackson “to explain why.”
Lidia Amoretti, spokeswoman for Jackson Health, will try.
“With our extremely limited vaccine supply, we have generally prioritized invitations sent to existing Jackson patients (both those 65 and older and those with identified high-risk conditions), as well as our community partnerships with faith-based and non-profit groups. The web platform is typically used to fill a relatively small number of spots that aren’t filled through those other avenues,” she said in an email to the Miami Herald.
“We also try to release public appointments less than 24 hours in advance to discourage ‘vaccine tourism.’ As a result, there are typically fewer than 1,000 appointments available when the public platform is opening — sometimes substantially fewer. While we understand this registration process has been frustrating for some people trying to book these high-in-demand appointments, we have successfully vaccinated nearly 52,000 members of the public over the last month and haven’t canceled a single appointment,” Amoretti said.
Some did win, however.
Jill Connor posted on Twitter Tuesday morning: “Be patient and keep trying. I tried a few times and was ready at the get-go and made an appointment!”
If there’s a magic formula, we’d tell you. Right now, we have to defer to Amoretti who echoed Connor’s tweet. Be ready. “When we open the portal, we normally announce it on Twitter and Instagram 10 minutes before it opens,” she said.
And think lucky thoughts. Can’t hurt to put that energy out there.
Those not so fortunate will probably hate hearing this, but Jackson has been a stellar place for seniors to get the Pfizer vaccine for the novel coronavirus. Those lucky enough to secure appointments and get their first, or second, doses there have reported friendly and efficient staff — from the parking lot attendants and security officials at the doors to the team that administers the shot and watches over you for 15 minutes afterward.
This story was originally published February 2, 2021 at 11:39 AM.
