Although many Pennsylvanians are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, it’s not always easy to find an available dose and register to receive it. We’ve compiled these resources to help you toward being COVID-free.
Hands-on Help
Council member Matt O’Donnell is offering his assistance to anyone who doesn’t have the technology or skills to use the various online registration systems. Reach out to the church office and we’ll connect you with him.
And if you’d like to also offer your services, please let us know.
Searching for Doses
As of this writing there is still a significant shortage of the vaccines compared to the demand for them among eligible Pennsylvanians. We hope that will lessen soon. In the meanwhile, here are the tips we’re hearing for locating vaccination:
Take advantage of 65+ clinics
The most successful route is for seniors 65 and older. Several vaccination clinics have been held in Monroeville for people in this age range. You can read Bob Rossetti’s experience at one of the first ones here. If you qualify, this is one of the easiest ways to get your vaccination.
Join a Facebook group
One of the best tools to help you find doses is social media. If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join the Getting Pittsburgh Vaccinated group and check regularly for tips about clinics other locations where doses of the vaccine are currently available.
Get on a standby list
Two of the three approved vaccines require very specific handling, and once the doses are ready for patients, they have a very short shelf life. For providers, a canceled appointment can mean a wasted vaccination dose.
Dr. B – the standby list for leftover doses – helps to connect spare vaccinations with arms that are looking for them. Registration is quick and free, and the site follows HIPAA guidelines regarding the data you provide.
If a provider finds itself with spare doses, it notifies Dr. B. The site then identifies nearby eligible people from its waitlist. If that’s you, you’ll receive an invitation to reserve the dose. You’ll need to move quickly and be able to travel to the provider, so you’ll want to consider transportation beforehand.
See where Rite Aid and Walgreens have available appointments
We’re not going to lie – although it’s great news that the vaccines are being made available at the national pharmacy chains, it’s really hard to snag an appointment to get one. The pharmacies’ online registration systems make it difficult to determine what locations currently have available doses.
Your best bet is to use Vaxx Maxx, an online tool that will show you all the available appointments in your state for either Rite Aid or Walgreens. It’s updated every few minutes.
You’ll still need to go to each pharmacy’s online registration tool to nab the appointment:
Competition is fierce, and there’s a good chance that appointments listed on Vaxx Maxx will be gone just minutes after they appear. It’s also likely that if you find an appointment someone else will be registering for it at the same time as you are – don’t be surprised to get to the end of the process and be told that your appointment was claimed by someone else. Perseverance is the key.
We’ve also been told that Rite Aid tends to dump new appointments to its registration system at midnight – this is both when you’ll have the greatest chance of finding available times, and also when there are the most people trying to claim those times.
Try Giant Eagle and CVS
The local grocery chain has been sponsoring vaccination drives at Heinz Field, as well as having appointments in-store. Their registration system has a waiting list to access it, and you’re not guaranteed an appointment once you get in, but it’s another option..
Another option is to check with CVS.
Check with a local pharmacy
Smaller, local pharmacies are often overlooked in the quest for vaccination doses. People using the internet to search will often overlook these providers, since each one has its own procedures and registration systems. You might find that they have doses available. Local pharmacies may also offer a simple waiting list to their eligible customers – something that’s not available at the bigger chains.
It Will Get Better… Quickly
If this all sounds chaotic and like a lot of effort, you’re not wrong. But the good news is that all three vaccines are being manufactured at quantity now. Each week more doses hit the market. In the next few months it’s likely that all of the vaccine hustle is a distant memory, and anyone who wants the shot will be able to easily get it.
In the meanwhile, continue to practice social distancing, wearing face coverings and playing it safe when it comes to trips out into the world. We’re in the home stretch now – keep hanging in there, and let us know if you’ve got any great tips for getting the vaccine!