Demand for a COVID-19 vaccine is high across the United States
There is a very high demand for people to get vaccinated for the coronavirus.
Newsy's Lindsey Theis explains how this is affecting residents all over the country.
THE CORONAVIRUS.NEWSY'S LINDSEY THEIS EXPLAINSHOW THIS IS AFFECTINGRESIDENTS ALL OVER THECOUNTRY....THE DEMAND IS HIGH FOR A COVIDVACCINE, AND THE LOGISTICSBEHINDGETTING A COVETED APPOINTMENTARE LEAVING MANYFRUSTRATED AND EMPTY-HANDED."EVERY TIME WE PICKED ALOCATION, THERE WAS NOAPPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE AT ANYLOCATION," ANNA DUNCAN TOLDNEWSY.
DUNCAN AND HER SISTEREACH SPENT FOUR HOURS TRYING TOGET A VACCINE APPOINTMENTFOR THEIR 91-YEAR-OLD MOTHER,WHO LIVES INWASHINGTON, D.C., WITH NO LUCK."I HAPPENED TO BEIN FLORIDA, AND MY SISTER'S INARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
MYSISTER AND I EACH SAW ONEAPPOINTMENT AND WE IMMEDIATELYGRABBED IT.
BUT BY THE TIME WEHAD ENTERED THE CAPTURE CODE, ITSAID, SORRY, THAT APPOINTMENT'SNO LONGER AVAILABLE."DUNCAN ISN'T ALONE.
"THEY'RETELLING US JUST GO ON THEWEBSITE AND GET IT AND YOU GOTHERE, IT'S A REAL CHORE TO FINDSOMETHING.
I WOUND UP HAVING TOGO TO A LOCATIONWHICH IS ABOUT 45 MILES AWAY,"HENRY WALL, 77, IN ARIZONA SAID."THE LAST TIME WE CALLED, THEYPUT US ON A WAITING LIST.
IHAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM THEWAITING LIST.
PLUS I CALLEDTHIS AFTERNOON AND THEY KEPT MEON HOLD FOR 30 MINUTES," 90-YEAR-OLD DAVID TERRELL INTENNESSEE SAID.
A FALSE RUMOROF AVAILABLE EXTRA VACCINE DOSESHAD PEOPLE LININGTHE SIDEWALKS AND CARS FILLINGTHE ROADWAYS NEAR A NEW YORKCITY VACCINE SITE.
THE RESULTINGCHAOS FORCED POLICETO TELL PEOPLE THAT IT WASN'TTRUE AND VACCINATIONSWERE APPOINTMENT- ONLY.
WHILEMILLIONS OFDOSES ARE GETTING TO THE STATES,A PATCHWORKVACCINATION APPROACH HAS LED TOFAR LESS GETTING INTOPEOPLE'S ARMS. EACH STATE,SOMETIMES EACH COUNTY WITHIN ASTATE, HAS A DIFFERENT WEBSITEOR WAY OF SIGNING UP.SOME SITES HAVE EVEN CRASHED."THIS IS ONE OF THE HARDESTTASKS THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENTHAS EVER HAD TO DEAL WITH,"RAPHAEL LEE, ADMINISTRATOR ATUSDR HEALTH DATA PROGRAM,TOLD NEWSY.
RAPHAEL LEE IS WITHA NONPARTISANEFFORT THAT CONNECTS VOLUNTEERTECHNOLOGYTEAMS TO GOVERNMENTS RESPONDINGTO THE COVID-19CRISIS.
HE SAYS WE'RE SEEINGTHIS ROLLOUT SIGNUPHEADACHE BECAUSE GOVERNMENTS ARENOT ALWAYSDESIGNED TO MOVE REALLY QUICKLY."PLENTY OF ORDINARYPEOPLE DON'T HAVE INTERNETACCESS OR THEY CAN'T USEWEBSITES, SO A COMPLETE STRATEGYWOULD ACTUALLYINCLUDE NON-HIGH-TECH SOLUTIONS,INCLUDING PHONESIGNUPS AND OTHER WAYS TO REACHPEOPLE WHO REALLYCAN'T GET ONLINE.
AND THEYSHOULD ALSO ACCOMMODATEPEOPLE WHO NEED SCREEN READERSAND TRANSLATIONSINTO NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGES," LEESAID.
AS FOR ANNA DUNCAN,SHE'S STILL LOOKING FOR ANAPPOINTMENT SLOT FOR HERMOTHER, HOPING SHE'LL HAVEBETTER LUCK.
"WE'RE GOING TOTRY AGAIN ON SUNDAY, MONDAY,MIDNIGHT MONDAY.
