There are vaccines that have been distributed but not put in anyone's arm.
There are states where over 65's stroll into appointments like royalty, if the stories on tv are to be believed.
West Virginia is at the top of the We Did It Best list..... West Virginia?????
The lack of planning is staggering. While the vaccine was being developed, no one on any level was developing a comprehensive strategy for inoculating the populace. Leave it to the states put the plan in the hands of Doug Ducey, Governor Ice Cream, who was busy figuring out how to appease the Trumpies while displaying some semblance of sanity, visible to the rest of us.
He failed. He and Cindy McCain were censured by those Republicans. Meanwhile, those of us who he is sworn to preserve and protect are dealing with a website structure that could have been dealt with months ago.
As soon as it became obvious that the vaccines were imminent, registration should have opened.
Answering all the questions at https://podvaccine.azdhs.gov/home takes a few minutes, at least the first time you go through it (those of us who've been relentlessly scrolling through the site have it down to a science; I may be the only person on earth who has memorized her new Medicare number). There is no reason that this couldn't have been done leisurely, when I had a chance, taking my time and then feeling secure that I had taken one step toward health.
Instead, you can only register when your cohort has been called.
Therefore, all over Arizona, at this moment (8:13am) there are senior citizens hunched over their computer screens, waiting for 9am when the portal will open.
I feel like James Spader waiting for the Stargate to reveal itself. I don't know what's on the other side, but I'm willing to take a chance.
In the meantime, since the website advises using a computer and we have only the one, I opened two screens and will put TBG on the phone to Tucson Medical Center, the local hospital which has gotten rave reviews for kindness, intelligence and follow-through in this process.
One of us tied to a screen. One of us attached to a phone. There had to have been a better way. I have used up my anxiety quotient for the decade. Arizona didn't need to add another layer to my angst.
Good luck with this. NBC had a color coded map of the US showing which states were doing well with vaccines last night. AZ was bright white indicating our complete and abject failure. West Virginia is the best - how did that happen?
ReplyDeleteI called TMC (520 222- 0119) and we're now enrolled. See tomorrow's post for the details.
DeleteComplete and Abject Failure - let's make that a sign for when Ducey runs for anything ever again.
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Monday a friend texted that one of the mass sites in Prescott was taking appointments for next weekend. I went online immediately and made appointments for Saturday plus the 2nd shot appointments for late Feb. Yay! At least until the snow kept coming down (still snowing now!) - we have about 3 feet and I'm not sure we'll be able to go anywhere as soon as Saturday so I may have to cancel and wait a little longer. Taking the vaccine won't immediately change any of our behaviors but at least it will feel like progress.
ReplyDeleteExactly! We'll still mask up and maintain distance, but it will be nice to feel comfortable running into the grocery store if I forgot a tomato for dinner.
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We had to wade through days of jammed on line portals here in the Seattle area, only to finally get "no appointments available" over and over again. Then finally our Kaiser Permanente provider opened up some Saturday appointments and it only took a day and a half to finally get through and score appointments for both of us. Now we have to worry if there will actually be vaccine by Feb 6.
ReplyDeleteI know. I know. As Little Cuter keeps reminding me, though: "There is a plan. He's only been in office for a week. It will come."
DeleteI try to hold on to hope. At least you have a date. We have only a promise that we will be able to sign up for one.
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In my relaxing time, I often look to small games for entertainment, they do not consume my time. But not every game I play. But I wanted to find games that were really attractive because that made me forget all around to really "focus on entertainment", which I really needed at that time. That helps me relax completely before continuing to work. That, to me is good! And I often choose Impossible Game to serve my relaxing time!
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