About 2.2 million vaccine shots are now administered every day. Eligibility varies by country a lot, but some who hope to record a dose find success in skipping the waiting list.
The line outside a county vaccination site in River Grove, Illinois, was more than 50 people deep and growing. Not one person there had an appointment. Some are not even eligible. But everyone had the same idea.
“Trying to get a vaccine,” Dave Moore, one of the people standing in line, told CBS News.
“They will come out and let you know if they have extras or anything,” said Amy Voyles, another person hoping to receive the vaccine.
Between the limited supply and the challenges of signing up for a shot, to the exact shelf life of the vaccine for cold storage, those waiting in line for canceled appointments hope no shows and extra doses that might otherwise end up in the trash.
“We want to try it, though,” Marley Berk told CBS News.
Some who decided to take the risk made the hunt for an extra dose a daily habit. “I came on Tuesday,” Todd Nelson said.
Voyles told CBS News that she showed up: “Saturday and every day this week except Monday.”
And medical experts agree: if you can get a chance, you should do it.
“I absolutely believe that the required ethics is never a chance to waste,” said dr. Arthur Caplan, director of medical ethics at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, told CBS News. “We did not spend any time talking about what to do with surplus.”
In the queue at the vaccination site in Illinois, when the sun went down and more than three hours passed, those waiting got bad news: a nurse told the group, ‘Hello guys.