Here is a tip, to move your sons apt sooner at the Ac mega site.
When they schedule the mega center for ac on Tuesday, your son can go into his account, use the “modify apt” option, and perhaps move up his apt at that venue.
Surprisingly, this am the site was booking for feb and early March, so friend modified her apt, from end of March, to end of February.
Might be worth trying on Tuesday before you cancel that apt. .
Here in NY I was finally able to access the site and make appointments for my H and myself. about 10 minutes ago. Actually, my S got my H an appointment while I was scheduling mine. The NYS site is glitchy and you have to be persistent. As of 10 minutes ago there were plenty of appointments at the Javits Center site but the links constantly went down. The phone line wasn’t taking calls, either. I used this link (sorry if this is not permissible) apps2.health.ny.gov. Good luck everyone!
I’ve had luck registering older people at the pharmacy sites in NY. It takes a bit of stalking and refreshing (and they need a verified account) but I’ve been able to snag spots. There are a zillion people on the state sites for <65 +comorbidities now but the pharmacies are restricted to 65+.
@PetraMC , have you found appointments at pharmacies on Long Island? I can only find them in Queens and the Bronx, which are restricted to people who either live or work in the city (afaik).
I am glad that there are sites specifically for 65+ because it is difficult for many elderly to get to Jones Beach etc.
We were very lucky to get appointments for my parents and in-laws during the small window when it was 75+. Now, I’m trying to help friends.
My friend was able to register her elderly mom at a pharmacy in their town on LI. She said right after midnight, a number of appointments opened up.
Thanks, @momofboiler1 ! I will tell people to make accounts with Walgreens and CVS and start checking at midnight.
Got yesterday for H (69) and I (65) appointments for first (tomorrow) and second (March) shots at local Walgreens in CO. Already had signed up for accounts, but that is not what mattered. They did not inform us of openings. I found they had vaccines on their website, then signed in and looked locally. While I was making the first shot time, the second shot time moved to a different pharmacy location. Looks like Moderna.
Also, a few minutes later, H got an email saying that the county public health was offering him a spot later on. I have not gotten an offer. It is supposed to be random in offerings. I have been checking 12 plus different sites several times a day. I think the town got a supply around Saturday.
Yep! Around 12:30 am!
I had been doing “midnight” checks for parents in NY on … which happily was only 10pm in my timezone. Had no luck there myself, but they finally by phone found a way to make Rite Aid appts for today. (Alas, it was deferred due to some kind of pharmacy “equipment issue” - hopefully the reschedule for tomorrow will work out.) Special shout out to people like their neighbors who were on standby today in case driveway snow shoveling assistance was needed.
NY did often show appts in distant rural towns. Also Albany by phone. Unfortunately all state sites too far for parents to drive.
Dutchess County has a nice email awareness setup. However the 700 appts they emailed about a few weeks ago filled up in SEVEN minutes.
I will say that in NY and CO it does feel like the “log jam” on appt backups is starting to budge, with pharmacies starting to ramp up.
Next week, the county will receive 2,500 first doses and 3,200 second doses. The Chester County Health Department reported it has vaccinated just over 12,000 of the more than 154,000 people eligible for the COVID-19 shots in the Phase 1A category.
Don’t know how many doses are going to state as a whole. Or how much is being distributed through the various pharmacies. This just for my county.
Still in phase 1A. Just don’t see how this is going to improve fast enough for anyone who wants a vaccine to get one in a few months…which is what I keep hearing on the news.
If the J&J vaccine is EUAed, that could add additional doses to the availability. Since it is a one-shot vaccine that does not need freezing, it may be logistically easier to get people fully vaccinated with it than with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
I don’t get the impression that the supply problem is with storage, rather it’s simply a supply and demand problem. They can only produce so many doses per week. Although I did read that moderna was seeking approval to put more doses per vial which might help but that also means the person administering needs to be precise when preparing the syringes
I’m in phase 2 unless I decide to become a smoker 
and I’m hoping that maybe one perk of being last is that Modena and Pfizer will adjust their next batches of vaccines to address the variants more specifically.
Under 65 w/comorbidities opened in NY today and I read that people were signing up at a rate of 350/minute. I forwarded info to several people today who qualify and they were all able to get a spot. Let’s hope things are getting a smidge faster (please!)
Maybe this has answered, but what is the definition of a cancer patient on the priority lists? Active treatment? What if someone is 5 years out and on maintenance drugs? (Still under the direction of an oncologist).
Thoughts?
I am 5 years out and still on meds, but don’t consider myself a priority the way a person doing chemo would be. However, if chemo suppresses the immune system, not sure if a vaccine would be effective.
Basically I had the same question as you. Is there some greater risk to us if we have had cancer in the past, since our immune systems were not able to fight off cancer cells or…???
My uncle who is undergoing chemo received the vaccine. He’s 64 (catholic family, my mom is 18 years older lol).
Yes he would be on a priority list. There is different info for each and every immune-suppressing drug.
I believe anybody who had cancer is considered on the list as a priority. My husband’s oncologist is recommending all her patients get it. I would think those with immune suppressant cancers are most important (like lymphoma).
As a person who has been treated for cancer but who is actually 6 years out, I don’t understand why I would be a priority. Meanwhile, my kid, who has type 1 diabetes, is not. I try to keep in mind that the main priority is not about individuals but about getting a large number vaccinated to prevent variants and to work toward herd immunity.
I have heard the priority list is not intended to be restrictive and that physicians have discretion, but the list seems to be viewed as restrictive.
JDRF and ADA have been doing advocacy with the CDC with recent studies showing type 1 is higher risk than type2. Viruses love high blood sugar and type 1’s blood sugars tend to triple when sick. Insulin to handle these high blood sugars is a danger in itself.
I am with you on the diabetes, can’t understand why it is only the one type on the CDC list. The problem is that most of the places to get vaccines make you check off the condition that makes you eligible - which makes it completely restrictive and not under physician discretion. Physicians just don’t have access to the vaccine for their patients and therefore aren’t able to make any judgements for them.