The new tool, after all, falls far short of the easy sign-up procedures offered in other states; Massachusetts residents, for example, still need to navigate to the individual vaccination providers, where they can sign up and book an appointment, as opposed to registering through one central scheduling tool.
‘It’s definitely better than it used to be,’ said Senator Eric Lesser, a Longmeadow Democrat who sponsored legislation to upgrade the state’s online registration system, ‘but it’s going to be pretty hard to get anywhere other than to go up. ‘
The new Massachusetts website is still up and running. For example, it only shows available appointments at large-scale vaccination sites, such as Fenway Park, and sites operated by local health departments.
Government officials have said they are recording appointment data from other sites, such as pharmacies, but note that there is no easy way to automatically update information from numerous other sites.
The state’s new website is but the latest adaptation by the Baker administration to manage the implementation of the vaccination effort in light of the huge demand and confusion. In order to reduce the risk of wasting shots with a short shelf life after thawing, the state suddenly allowed people under the age of 75 to get vaccinated annually if they accompany a competent parent after a vaccination period .
The Baker administration also reported on Friday that COVID-19 vaccines had reached the 1 million mark. But the virus is still demanding heavily, as the number of people who have died is more than 15,000, officials reported Friday.
The state launched the Vaxfinder website after a deluge of complaints that the original website was confusing and difficult to use. Independent software developers have stepped in to build alternative websites at their own expense. One called VaccinateMA was created by Zane Stiles, a private equity analyst at Bain Capital. Stiles uses a solution to get updated scheduling of private vaccination sites: volunteers he recruited contact them directly by phone and enter the information.
And a software developer at maternity leave technology firm athenahealth, Olivia Adams, has garnered national attention for building another competitive website, macovidvaccines.com.
Adams said she met with several Massachusetts officials this week to discuss her efforts. Officials told her that the state had agreed with a computer vendor some time ago to make the new website and did not ask for help. “I actually had no input,” Adams said.
After reviewing the Vaxfinder tool, Adams said, “I think it’s an improvement for the state, but I do not think it’s more functional than my website at the moment.”
Massachusetts is not the only state where citizen volunteers have created easy-to-use vaccination sites. The VaccinateMA built by Stiles was inspired by a similar private effort in California, VaccinateCA. And several individuals and organizations in New York State have put together alternative vaccine seekers.
But in some states, such as West Virginia, none of this is necessary. For example, residents fill out a form on a state website to be placed on a waiting list for the vaccine. People are notified by email, phone call or text message when a dose is available at a nearby location.
Anyone who is unable to make the suggested date will be placed on the waiting list again. People without internet access can dial a toll-free phone number to make an appointment.
During a briefing on the new Massachusetts site Friday, officials did not commit to offering a centralized sign-up, but said further improvements to the site lie ahead.
In contrast, the legislation submitted by Lesser and others would require the state to set up a central online portal where people can sign up for a vaccination by filling out a single application. Lesser said Governor Charlie Baker has the authority to build a central portal, but that he will enforce it by law if he does not comply.
The Vaxfinder tool does provide information for users to determine if they are currently eligible for the vaccine, and translation services are available by clicking the Select Language icon at the top of the page. Vaxfinder is also available on mobile devices, officials said.
The website provides additional detailed information on each vaccination site, including access and parking instructions, accessibility accommodations, the type of vaccination offered, and public transportation options.
The state also discussed a 211 vaccination call line this week, especially for residents aged 75 and older who are struggling to make an appointment online. But the 211 call center is only available between 8:30 and 17:00 from Monday to Friday.
Carlene Pavlos, executive director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association, said these restrictions make it more difficult for the elderly and people in underserved communities to use the call center.
“The state only started working on the 211 call line so late in the rollout that we are really behind the eight ball,” Pavlos said.
Hiawatha Bray can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeTechLab. Travis Andersen can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.