Janet Genow got her vaccine on Monday after two weeks of anxiety, technical problems and what looked like dead ends.
There was a wrong message about her disability. “I’m 78,” she recalls. “I said to my computer, ‘I’m eligible. ”
When she saw her friends getting appointments, her daughter asked social media for advice. The Orange County Health Care Agency advised them to contact Curapatient, the company behind the app. Someone finally confirmed that she was registered but gave no other information.
By the time Genow received instructions such as ‘do not call us, we will call you’, she still had little confidence in the system.
But then she got an email Sunday to make an appointment for the next day. When she arrived at the Disneyland vaccination distribution center about half an hour early, the process was “super smooth,” she said.
She was done before the time of her appointment. Others who were vaccinated this week at both Disneyland and Soka University – the country’s second major vaccine distribution site, which opened on January 23 – also report a smooth process and short waiting time.
“But the process of making the appointment was hell,” Genow said.
This is what you need to know when navigating the process in Orange County. We also have information on the process in Los Angeles County. This is the most recent and complete information we currently have, but that may change.
Where things stand
Orange County was the first county in Southern California to begin vaccinating people aged 65 and older on January 13, the day Governor Gavin Newsom announced the policy change.
Many will be vaccinated directly by employers or assistance homes. About 80% of the vaccines available for Orange County have gone to traditional health care providers, including hospitals, pharmacies and community health centers, according to Jessica Good, public information manager at the OC Health Care Agency. The remaining 20% is administered by the county of Orange by Othena.
Residents and those working in the country are eligible. The province is in Phase 1A – which includes critical and health workers, residents of long-term care facilities and people aged 65 and over.
There were bugs and subsequent improvements. Initially, vaccine seekers had to rely on luck to gain access to the site when the province accidentally opened new appointments. A waiting list feature allows people to make the appointment when it is their turn.
Elderly people waited in line early for hours outdoors, even when they had an appointment. Now the waiting time is shorter.
“The vaccination process at both sites usually takes between 45 and 60 minutes, which includes a period of 15 minutes,” Good said.
The province hopes to eventually open five sites and serve up to 8,000 people daily. Their goal is to vaccinate all residents of the country who want to be vaccinated by July 4, 2021.
Today in #OC, someone gets vaccinated by #Othena every five minutes. Since January 1, more than 484,170 people have registered with Othena, 79,291 people have received a vaccination and 89,957 have planned a vaccination period.
– OC Health Care Agency (@ochealth) 27 January 2021
But it is still difficult for many residents, especially those in sub-communities, those who do not have access to technology, and those with language barriers.
Dr. Mai-Phuong Nguyen, who cares for elderly patients in Orange County, spends her limited free time helping seniors report to Othena. Many do not have email addresses required to sign in.
Nor can she imagine that some of her debilitated patients older than 80 could stand in line for very long.
“We are currently investigating the drive-through model,” Good said. ‘Our ability to open additional super-PODs [large distribution sites] depends on the amount of vaccines we receive from the state. The province is still seeking additional grants. ”
The director of OC Health Care Agency, dr. Clayton Chau, recently spoke about plans to make Othena versions in Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese and to set up public libraries to help people who do not have smartphones or internet access.
In the meantime, if you cannot get a vaccine through your employer, nursing home or doctor, you can get the vaccine through the country.
Sign up for an Othena account
Go to Othena.com or download the Othena app.
You will be asked to complete a COVID-19 vaccination pre-screening questionnaire stating that you live or work in Orange County, are over 65, or work in an eligible industry. come for the vaccine.
If you qualify and there are appointments available, you can make an appointment. But more likely, you will be asked to register (with a unique email address, password, name, date of birth, gender at birth, race, ethnicity, occupation and employer) and put in a digital waiting room.
How the digital waiting room works
Appointments are prioritized based on age, time of registration and available vaccine supply.
You should receive an email when it’s your turn to make an appointment, but there are reports that emails go to spam directories or never appear. Until this technical issue is resolved, it is best to check your Othena account carefully.
Once it’s your turn, you have a four hour window to make an appointment. If you do not make an appointment within four hours, Othena will open the lock for someone else, the province said. If you miss three windows, you will be completely removed from the queue.
If you need to cancel an appointment, you can do so through Othena.
What is the difference between Disneyland and Soka University?
Once you have an appointment, you can choose a time and place.
Disneyland is currently administering the Moderna vaccine, while Soka is administering the Pfizer vaccine. The Disneyland site is in an outdoor parking lot, specifically the park’s Toy Story parking lot on the southeast corner of Katella Avenue and Harbor Boulevard.
Sokas are in a gym. The province is asking those going to Soka not to arrive more than 30 minutes early, to follow all movements and traffic patterns and not to avoid parking in residential streets or in nearby school grounds, Good said.
In general, there is no benefit to going longer than half an hour early because you are on appointment.
What to bring to your appointment
Individuals must have a photo ID proving that they live or work in Orange County, as well as a Phase 1A qualification documentation, such as one of the following:
- Professional license.
- Employee badge with name.
- Signed letter from the employer on the letterhead.
- Payment stump with the printed name.
Those who booked the appointment via the app can show the code that can be scanned on the premises. Others can be confirmed by their name, birthday and date ID number.
Watch the weather report and get dressed as you head to Disneyland. Appointments have been canceled and rescheduled due to the weather.
“For those for whom standing and waiting in line for long periods of time can be a challenge, know that you are welcome to take a compact folding chair with you,” Good said. An umbrella is always a good idea to protect from rain or to provide shade, just like a bottle of water. ‘
Also wear a mask.
How do you get your second dose?
Good said that anyone who has received a first dose through the Othena system will receive an appointment within the appropriate time frame.
The second dose for Pfizer should be administered after 21 days, while the second dose for Moderna should be scheduled after 28 days.
“Othena monitors the data and type of vaccine of your first dose to plan your next appointment and ensure you receive the correct second dose,” Good said. “Your second dose is automatically assigned to your first dose – you can choose to cancel or reschedule.”
She recommends that you regularly monitor and update your email or Othena account for appointment updates.
“The community needs to seek their second dose at the same system that is the first,” she said.
What about health equality?
The province offers pop-up mobile clinics for vulnerable elderly people in communities with severe under-employment. This often includes populations that do not speak English or that are not documented.
Nguyen took her father to a vaccine management in Little Saigon for the Vietnamese American community, many of whom are monolingual and dependent on sticks, walkers, wheelchairs and their caregivers.
There are others founded by groups like Latino Health Access, based in Santa Ana.
“This outreach campaign is not intended for the general public, who usually have resources that many low-income communities do not have at their disposal,” Good said. “We are working with community partners to support these grassroots efforts to reach the elderly near home and provide more vaccinations for this vulnerable population.”
Still confused?
More information is available on the Orange County Health Care Agency website, including a vaccination distribution plan chart which sets out the suitability so you can see when you could possibly be vaccinated.
For individual questions, call the COVID-19 hotline of the province: (714) 834-2000. Live operators are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. They can not make appointments, but they can help solve problems.
Send an email to the Orange County Health Care Agency’s Immunization Assistance Program (IAP): [email protected].
Follow the Orange County Health Care Agency @ health on Twitter or Facebook for daily updates.