Despite the adjustments of the state, some residents still find it difficult to make appointments and have turned to different word-of-mouth channels to find open slots. In addition, a number of unofficial resources have been created to help residents find and book available vaccination appointments.
Here are some tips if you are among those who are having trouble finding open appointments at the moment you are looking for.
Follow the Twitter account @vaccinetime
The Twitter account, run by software engineer Dan Cahoon, scrapes vaccination websites and automatically tweets when new appointments are posted.
The bill is posted when appointments appear at various locations across the state. Each tweet lists the number of open slots and where in the state they are available, whether at hospitals or pharmacies, and the posts contain links to individual sites that residents can follow.
Sign up for email alerts via COVID Vaccine Finder
Vaccination seekers can also sign up for email alerts via COVID Vaccine Finder, a website run by three sisters that sends an email when new appointments are posted. On their website, the sisters said they began their surgery after realizing that vaccine seekers did not have hours to spend on refreshing appointment sites.
“Once you have logged in to our site, you can go back to your life and just monitor your email: we will ping you immediately when appointments are available,” the site reads.
The site warns users that they will receive approximately 10 emails per day when they sign up. It also warns residents that due to the large number of people who want to make appointments, the slots will be booked quickly, usually between 1 and 3 minutes after they are released, and users will be asked to ‘click fast’ if you see an email address ‘.
Follow the Facebook group Vaccine Hunters / Angels Massachusetts
The group, which boasts 13,000 members, shares, according to its description, tips on how suitable people can book appointments and advice for securing excess doses.
Members of the group answer each other’s questions about their personal experiences signing up for and receiving the vaccine, and alert others when appointments are available. Some are creating their own spreadsheets and documents to track when and where the slots open.
People who are willing to help others make appointments will also give time to help others find slots. Some of the people in the group ask if anyone needs help.
Subscribe to text alerts via covidvaccinetexts.com
The website covidvaccinetexts.com will send users text messages when vaccine appointments are available at nearby pharmacies.
Users can enter their phone number and locations in their area to be notified when the slots at CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid pharmacies open, one of the developers behind the website told WCVB.
Register with Dr. B, a support list for COVID-19
Dr. B is a service that aims to connect people looking for COVID-19 shots with providers who have excess doses.
“Sometimes patients have to cancel their vaccinations and leave unused doses at the end of the day,” the website reads. “You can sign up to receive notifications via SMS when available near you.”
Dr. B began working with suppliers in Massachusetts last Wednesday, a spokesman for the service told The Boston Globe by email and is currently in talks with more suppliers.
People provide their phone number and basic information to register. Dr. B sends a message to users when a nearby provider is looking for people to administer extra doses, and interested parties can respond to the message according to the website to claim the dose and go to the provider at a certain time.
Subscribe to the waiting list at Boston Medical Center
The BMC’s waiting list is for people interested in being vaccinated at one of the hospital’s vaccination clinics, the website says.
Users can submit a form and residents will be contacted by email, phone call or text message to book an appointment as soon as they are eligible.
The waiting list is for vaccination sites in Boston, including the Thomas M. Menino YMCA in Hyde Park, the Morning Star Baptist Church in Mattapan and Russell Auditorium in Dorchester, among others.
For Boston residents with color, visit the vaccine stock access line
The City of Boston has introduced the Equity in Vaccine Access line to help residents in communities affected excessively by the COVID-19 pandemic find and discuss vaccination slots.
For those who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines and who identify them as colored, residents can fill out an online form or call 617-635-5555.
Contact your local pharmacy
Due to the conditions surrounding the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, which need to be thawed and cannot be frozen again, clinics and premises are sometimes left with doses. Since there are no uniform policies on what to do with it, they are also faced with the choice to use it.
Residents can sign up at local pharmacies and other sites that are part of the federal government’s vaccine distribution program to see if they have extra vaccine doses.
CVS, for example, has significant room for maneuver in how it administers additional doses.
“Our retail teams will evaluate on a case-by-case basis how eligible individuals can be vaccinated effectively with the remaining doses,” Joe Goode told a Globe spokesman in February. “This may include local ‘waiting lists’ of eligible individuals, if applicable.”
Goode noted that each pharmacy can identify which people are eligible for vaccinations from CVS patient profiles.
“Finally,” he said, “we are taking steps to ensure that these valuable doses are best used.”
Amanda Kaufman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ amandakauf1. Christina Prignano can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @cprignano.