NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Getting a COVID-19 vaccine appointment has been like trying out for the Olympics: a near impossible task but, the rewards are amazing.
We’ve heard countless stories of people trying desperately to get their COVID-19 vaccines, with some people driving over six hours away for their appointments.
Though, in the midst of all the chaos, there have been a number of people who have tried to carve a path for those trying and failing to make appointments.
In this week’s In Depth Podcast, we took a closer look at the people who are going out of their way to help others get their vaccine.
We found a number of people who took to posting useful information on social media and one woman who created a unique website to help with the sign-up process.
What we learned is that most of these efforts are born out of people trying to help their own family and friends, and then realizing the need for this information.
Among those we found was a man, who wishes to remain anonymous because “it’s not about him,” who runs the New Jersey-focused Twitter account @C19VaxxUpdates (or VaxxUpdates for short).
He tells WCBS 880 that he is an out-of-work traveling Broadway singer who had time and is now fueled by the energy of helping others.
The Twitter user tracks dozens of New Jersey sites including state, county and local health care facilities, and when he sees new appointments pop up, or other useful information, he tweets it out.
“It's a Twitter account to help eligible New Jersey residents and workers secure appointments for the COVID vaccine,” he told us.
Speaking from experience, it’s an excellent resource for people trying to find appointments. But, he does acknowledge that for the less tech-savvy residents of the state, it still remains difficult to get an appointment.
“For those people that don't have, again, the technological means, the system is stacked against them,” he said.
Though, the Broadway singer believes he’s helping and says the feedback he gets is proof.
While we found plenty of people who were looking to help, we also found some push back from public health experts, who fear that these helpful acts will actually widen the inequity gap in terms of those that can get access and those who cannot.
Dr. Leana Wen, a professor at George Washington University, notes that there is a big difference in posting useful information and building a site to game the current system, which she says is incredibly disorganized.
“We do have these systems that really are quite chaotic,” she said.
Wen adds that there needs to be “a centralized way to sign up” for the vaccine across all states, that is accessible to those without technology.
Though, she predicts the chaos surrounding vaccine appointments will all be gone soon when the supplies increase in the coming weeks.
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