A 40-year-old mother in Oregon on the messy vaccine appointment process: ‘It’s like trying to find a golden ticket’

  • Date: 07-Apr-2021
  • Source: Business Insider
  • Sector:Healthcare
  • Country:Middle East
  • Who else needs to know?

A 40-year-old mother in Oregon on the messy vaccine appointment process: ‘It’s like trying to find a golden ticket’

My husband and I recently became eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine under Oregon's distribution plan. However, we were advised by friends and colleagues to start looking for appointments beforehand and reserve dates for after we're eligible.

I started seriously looking for a vaccine appointment two weeks ago. It's like trying to search for the golden ticket. 

It feels like I've spent every free moment I've had looking for a vaccine. It amounts to having a part-time job with about three to six hours per day in total. This includes research, refreshing registration pages with pharmacy websites, and coordinating with my spouse. 

At first, I had no idea how we were supposed to find an appointment. I thought my doctor would call me and I'd just stroll into his office and get the shot. But soon I realized if you're waiting on a phone call, you're going to be waiting forever. 

When Gov. Kate Brown accelerated the timeline for children to go back to in-person learning, my anxiety levels increased because my elementary-aged son has asthma and was going to be out in public more often. I knew I needed to find a vaccine appointment, I just didn't know where to look. 

I came across