The failure of New York State to provide me with a supply of vaccine prevents me from distributing it to my patients. However my patients have been busy obtaining the vaccine and sharing their experiences. This gives me the opportunity to create some “rules of the road” and share them with my subscribers.
1. The vaccine has arrived in many places. It is not a rumor. With a great deal of effort many of my patients are getting the vaccine.
2. Every day the internet lists new sites that are opening up to distribute the vaccine.
3. The discovery of a new site is precious.
4. It appears that within a day of opening most sites become oversubscribed, become unable to answer their phones and can’t hand out appointments within a reasonable time frame. For this reason, the discovery of a new site and completing the online form, or phoning can be the quickest way to access a vaccine. Rarely when the phones aren’t answered a visit to the site will unearth an opportunity to receive a vaccine or an appointment for a vaccine that can’t be accessed otherwise. Of course, as soon as a site becomes popular all the advantages of the new site disappear.
5. Recognize the difficulties the distribution sites face. This information can help you succeed.
6. Most site administrators are new to this type of endeavor.
7. The site administrators labor under draconian threats for failing to submit the New York State tracking forms perfectly and tabulating results on a daily basis for immediate submission.
8. How can the individual help. Study the eligibility list carefully and determine the most appropriate and most easily provable category that fits your situation - over 65, teacher, funeral director, burial society, health care worker etc.
9. Assemble the simplest most direct evidence of your category.
10. Bring government issued photo ID.
11. Without these the administrators cannot successfully process the candidates.
12. I believe that visiting in small groups of 3-4 individuals is advantageous. Numerous challenges crop up on the route and a little group think helps overcome the innumerable administrative obstacles.
13. Remember the sites truly want to distribute their vaccine. They are looking for assistance in getting their paperwork done correctly and avoiding State censure.
14. The news about the vaccine is changing every day. The fastest way to access the news is with digital devices. This is definitely the time to become a smart phone, tablet etc. aficionado even if only for this project.
15. On the larger scale participation in the vaccine is good for the individual. Getting a group together means more people will benefit. The faster New Yorkers consume the vaccine supplies the more ammunition we give our leaders to pull more vaccine from the Federal stores. The greater the number of vaccinated people, the safer our State becomes and the closer to resuming normal social and economic function.
16. My subscribers’ experiences are precious. Please share them so that I can pass the advice on to others.