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News this week that the COVID-19 vaccine can now be given to anyone 65 and over in Orange County has been greeted by a mad rush of people hoping to be vaccinated, but for many , it was difficult to get an appointment or even operate the designated app and website.
So what is being done to remedy the situation, and what should people know if they are eligible for the vaccine but have not yet received it?
Here are some of the questions and concerns from Orange County Register readers, along with the most recent answers we may get. (In some cases, plans are still fluid or information was not available.)
Q: The OC Health Care Agency has said they use the Othena website or the mobile app to register and schedule an appointment for the vaccine. Why didn’t it work for me?
A: A big deal is a limited number of appointments and very high demand, with some readers reporting that Othena’s website was down when they tried it and others saying there is no had no appointment slots open. County officials said they were working on some technical issues with the site.
So far, only one large-scale public vaccination site has been launched – Disneyland, which opened on Wednesday – which can currently treat around 3,000 to 3,200 people per day. Appointments are scheduled for up to three days, as the county depends on the state for its supply of vaccine doses, and officials don’t want to have to cancel anyone’s appointment because injections don’t were not available, County CEO Frank Kim said.
It’s a frustrating math problem. County health officials said on Wednesday they already had about 42,000 doses on hand, with a shipment of 35,000 more expected next week. That’s 77,000 vaccinations – and around 800,000 people are now considered eligible to receive the OC vaccine, including around 200,000 healthcare workers and other high-priority officials, plus around 600,000 in the 65-and-over group, spokesperson County Molly Dit Nichelson.
As more doses (around 170,000 in total) were sent to Orange County, Kim said the majority of the vaccine has gone to hospitals and large health networks, which vaccinate their workers and have the discretion to distribute. vaccines.
“The challenge is that right now the demand is exceeding capacity and it will improve,” Kim said. “The difficulty is that we are looking for predictability (in the vaccine supply) so that we can design a longer-term meeting window.”
Q: How do I know if I am eligible to receive the vaccine? Can I just go to the Disneyland site?
A: County health worker Dr Clayton Chau, after consulting with the Orange County Vaccine Working Group, recently decided to open up vaccines to anyone 65 years of age and older, who Whether or not she has other health issues, as this age group currently makes up the majority CO residents in hospitals with COVID-19, as well as most of those in intensive care who need ventilators.
Most healthcare workers – including paramedics, home health aides, and emergency and dental clinic staff – and some law enforcement personnel working in high-risk settings may also be vaccinated.
But please, county officials say, don’t come without an appointment. They will not be able to accommodate walk-in people and this will slow down the process for everyone.
Q. So what should I do if I still need to make an appointment?
A: It may take a little persistence. County health officials advise people to call their doctor or health care provider first, although a number of readers said they did and were told the provider could not. currently not vaccinate them or had no information.
As for Othena (www.othena.com), Kim said the site is updated and all bugs are fixed on a regular basis, which may be why some people cannot get it to work. “We advise people to check throughout the day – there is no specific time” when lots of appointments open, he said.
The county is also working on adding a confirmation feature so users know they have successfully registered and, if they fall into a category that is not yet eligible for vaccinations, they will be notified. when it is their group’s turn.
On Thursday afternoon, Kim said all available appointments were full, but county officials are working to increase capacity and plan to open more high-capacity venues like Disneyland in the coming weeks.
“We don’t have enough vaccines for everyone who wants them today, but vaccine availability is increasing week by week, as is our capacity, so we ask for their patience,” he said.
The county has not indicated how people who do not or cannot use a computer or smartphone can make an appointment, but health agency officials have promised more information about it “in the next days”.
Q: What should I expect when I get an appointment and how long will it take?
A: First, bring some ID such as a driver’s license to verify your age. Healthcare workers need an employee badge, letter from their employer, or something else that proves their profession.
Plan at least a short wait. You will need to register and be screened before taking your photo. On day one at the Disneyland site, it took some people an hour and a half to complete the process, but Kim said the process had already sped up a bit by day two. If the forecast is for warm weather, officials suggest waiting in the car until near your appointment time.
After being vaccinated, everyone is asked to wait about 15 minutes so that site staff can make sure there are no adverse reactions to the vaccine. It should take 30-40 minutes from start to finish when everything is going well.
County officials said Othena is also designed to remind users who have received their first vaccine when to second (the two vaccines licensed in the US are at two doses) – this should be around three weeks later. .
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