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The first of millions of New Yorkers with chronic health conditions lined up to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at sites around town on Monday, a day after people flooded a state website and a call center when they became eligible for the vaccine.
Four million people with diseases such as hypertension and obesity can now receive the vaccine in the state, despite a supply shortage. Those who were able to make vaccination appointments, like Linda Zucker, 55, a lawyer from New Rochelle, NY, were relieved. Ms Zucker, who said she was a breast cancer survivor, started trying to make an appointment at midnight on Saturday night, gave up after a while, but was successful early Sunday morning.
“The end is in sight,” Zucker said Monday morning after receiving the first dose of the vaccine at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Midtown. “The masks aren’t going anywhere, but at least I won’t feel in danger anymore.”
But for many others, the process has been frustrating, if not overwhelming. Many people spent much of Sunday trying to navigate the city and state’s three different check-in systems, some walk-in to show it, and others turned to apps. third parties.
“I can’t wait to tell our future children how their parents spent Valentine’s Day 2021 booking dates for us and our loved ones,” a disgruntled user wrote on Twitter.
State officials said they considered the expansion a success. They said 250,924 people had successfully made immunization appointments on Sunday, more than on any day since the registration system was introduced in mid-January.
The process has been made easier by technological updates, such as virtual waiting rooms on the website and a call-back system on the phone line to book appointments, officials said.
In some cases, the updates have caused confusion. Many users took a screen that told them to try to make appointments later as proof that the system was crashing; it was actually designed to prevent people from waiting indefinitely for dates, said Richard Azzopardi, senior adviser to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.
“It didn’t crash, it didn’t kick people out unnecessarily, and yes they must have tried several times, but they were warned so they didn’t have to waste time waiting in line “Mr. Azzopardi said in an interview. , adding that “the best message is that persistence pays off.”
Some users still have difficulty making appointments. City Councilor Mark Levine, who chairs the council’s health committee, said there were “real functionality issues” as people scrambled to schedule them.
“You really need to have hours of time and technological skills, not to mention access to a computer and an Internet connection, to make an appointment,” Mr. Levine said in an interview, adding that these requirements help. racial and socio-economic inequalities. in the distribution of vaccines.
Mr Levine said the obstacles were even more frustrating because the state and city had months to develop a registration system.
“It’s just crazy that we’re here in February still trying to figure this out,” Mr. Levine said.
In the meantime, Mr. Levine offered a piece of advice: he recommended that meeting seekers use the Google Chrome browser in incognito mode on a computer to avoid technical issues.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established prioritization guidelines for the vaccine, but vaccine distribution was largely left to the discretion of states, resulting in a pastiche of different rules and in some cases , to “vaccine hunters” who cross borders for blow. About 20 states currently allow high-risk adults to be vaccinated.
Cancer, developmental disorders, liver disease, and pregnancy are other conditions that now qualify people for the vaccine in New York City. Some vaccine applicants have expressed frustration that the conditions, which are described by the CDC, appear somewhat arbitrary.
Similar objections were raised when smokers were allowed to receive the vaccine in New Jersey. (New York now allows people with lung disease to receive the vaccine, but officials have said smoking alone is not eligible).
New Yorkers seeking the vaccine must provide proof of their condition, such as medical documentation, a medical note or signed certification, Cuomo said in a statement last week.
“It’s no secret that whenever you come across such a scarce resource, there will be attempts at fraud and gambling systems,” said Cuomo, who threatened fines and charges. ‘other sanctions for institutions or individuals who cut. the line to get the vaccine.
Officials said that with an adequate supply of vaccines, New York could immunize 100,000 people per day, with help from the newly opened mass vaccination sites at Citi Field in Queens and Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and sites planned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Brooklyn and Queens. State data on Sunday indicated that nearly two million New Yorkers had received the first doses of the vaccine.
New Yorkers who were able to secure dates were elated.
Jaikaran Sawhny, 38, said he felt like he was checking state regulations several times a day to see when he would be eligible for the vaccine.
Mr Sawhny, an East Harlem technician with thalassemia, said he was able to make an appointment at the Brooklyn Army Terminal after four hours of constant refreshing from his browser.
Booking the appointment was “painful,” said Sawhny, but getting the shot turned out to be virtually effortless.
“I didn’t expect it to be that quick and easy, but it was totally effective,” he said.
Kevin Armstrong and Alexandra E. Petri contributed reporting.
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