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Patience is the most important asset when it comes to getting vaccinated. However, these guides, websites, and appointment warning systems can also be helpful.
• April 1, 2021
Nick Muerdter is confident that the day will soon come when people will no longer have to use the Vaccine Potter.com website he created to find a way to get vaccinated.
“As soon as enough vaccine appointments are available, a website like this no longer matters,” says Muerdter, who created the website in his spare time and at the same time worked as a software developer for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden. “However, at no point have they been easy to come by, especially in urban areas.”
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Now that every Coloradan is 16 years and older will officially be eligible To get a vaccine starting this Friday April 2nd, the insane shot of getting stuck with a needle is likely to last at least the next few weeks.
Brigadier General Scott Sherman of the Colorado National Guard, who leads the vaccination effort, said the state currently receives 422,000 doses per week from the federal government and that number is expected to increase by tens of thousands in the coming weeks. He and Governor Jared Polis believe that the level of care should allow anyone wanting a vaccine to do so by the end of May.
At the same time, opening up authorization to all adults means that millions more people are looking for appointments. “I’ve definitely seen my website traffic really increase in states where all groups, including Colorado, are eligible,” says Muerdter.
To get your arms around you or someone you love, we’ve rounded up some of the best resources for finding a vaccine appointment. We’ve also spoken to the creators of some of these websites and alert systems about their best advice on vaccination hunting. (Spoiler alert: said patience is key.)
Resources for Finding Vaccines
Vaccine spotter: Muerdter’s website, accinespotter.org, uses bots he created to pull appointment data from various pharmacy databases (Walgreens, King Soopers, etc.) and to store all available time slots for specific locations in one place. When Muerdter first launched the site in February, appointments were being collected for Colorado, but he has expanded it to all 50 states plus the US Virgin Islands and District of Columbia. He’s tried to bring in a few other vaccination clinics, including those operated by Centura Health here in Colorado, but for the most part it only includes information about pharmacies.
The state’s COVID-19 resource page: While there is no way to immediately alert you to where available appointments like Vaccine Spotter are available, the state’s resources page has the most comprehensive list of vendors, clinics, and other groups that offer vaccines.
Vaccine hunter: Boulderit Doug Ward started Vaccine Hunter.org after struggling to find an appointment for his mother in the early stages of the spread. The site’s mission is to connect people with groups that provide tips, tricks, and other information about where vaccinations might be available in their community. In Colorado’s case, that’s the one Colorado vaccine hunter Facebook page that currently has more than 20,000 members. Once you are accepted into the group, Ward recommends using the search tool to see if people are talking about how they managed to get appointments in the area where you live. “If you can’t find good information this way, there are a number of general topics to ask questions about,” he says. “Usually five to ten people are ready to make an appointment.”
@COVaxAlert: This Twitter thread receives information from Vaccine Spotter and sends notifications when new time slots are available. The posts are for every part of Colorado. So if you are preparing to receive notifications, be prepared for your phone to hum a lot.
Dr. B.: Go to hidrb.com to sign up for vaccine standby lists near you. If someone cancels an appointment or has additional doses with one of the local providers that have a relationship with the service, you will receive a text message about this availability. Few local groups currently use the service.
Vaccine fairy: This nationwide service helps people struggling to book appointments, including people who are not tech savvy. If you need help, you can send a request to pharmacfairy.org. The group is also looking for volunteers who want to spend time looking for windows of time for those in need.
Tips on finding vaccines
Be patient
“It’s all a bit chaotic,” says Muerdter. “I think the best advice is just to be patient. Some people are lucky and find [an appointment] in 10 minutes others won’t. ”
Be ready to travel beyond your immediate surroundings
“The ability to broaden the search has really helped a lot of people,” says Ward. “Vaccines are not really distributed among the population. It seems to be more spread out across the state. Being able to travel with confidence, especially to more rural areas, can improve your chances. “When you travel, many health officials encourage people to make sure they get both doses in the same place.
Register with your local clinic or healthcare provider
Appointments may not be available right away, but you want to be one of the first calls when someone cancels or there is an excess vaccine.
Shane Monaghan, Digital Associate Editor
Shane writes and edits stories for 5280.com and maintains 5280’s daily newsletter, The Local.
