About a Vaccine — VICKY NGUYEN

Last week I tweeted about feeling like a super hero after securing two COVID-19 vaccine appointments for my parents. They’re both over 65 and have qualified for the shot in New York since January 12th when Gov. Cuomo agreed to follow federal guidance while also criticizing the feds for not providing enough doses to meet demand.

My dad, usually referred to as Asian Grandpa in my posts, is pretty internet literate. He was the one updating me on signing up for the vaccine and what he was doing to get on the various New York websites to register. He even called a few pharmacies on the NY vaccine website and one told him they’d add him to the list for a shot when they got their supply.

I thought he had it handled. After all, this is the guy who called the California DMV when the coveted carpool stickers for electric cars were going to be a thing. The DMV extended the deadline right before I was going to move back to CA which meant if I acted quickly, my Prius and I would be eligible to cruise in the carpool lane and avoid hideous Bay Area traffic. The first person he talked to at the DMV didn’t know what he was talking about and said no, there wouldn’t be any more stickers. So he called back. Got someone else who actually knew the new rules, and got the exact address for me to send my form and my $8 fee to. She even told him don’t use UPS or FedEx or any fancy mail service to rush it, just send it via regular snail mail to the PO Box and it would be processed quickly. Sure enough, that’s what I did, I got the stickers and it was the best $8 I ever spent on a non-burrito item.

But 3 weeks after New York made vaccines available to those 65 and up, my parents were still without an appointment. My dad was not happy about my suggestions that he “keep refreshing” the websites to sign up. He was grumpy, exasperated, and annoyed at getting alerts to go to a website to sign up for an appointment only to get a dead end page with the words “No appointments available.”

So Wednesday, after talking to a friend in California who managed to score the shots for her parents, her in-laws in Texas, and even the parents of her friends, I decided I should see what I could find. My first step: Google “where to get the vaccine in NYC” in my area. After striking out on the general website, I called a local hospital. No vaccines. I looked on some local hospital sites. Had to register with an email address and some basic info (name, date of birth) just to see if appointments were available. No vaccines. I then somehow clicked on a Patch.com article that had three links. One of them linked to a physician group that was offering vaccines in multiple locations in Brooklyn, Harlem, the Flatiron and Upper East Side. I had to sign up and then it directed me to select locations I’d be willing to go to.

BAM. This was Wednesday afternoon and there were multiple appointments available for the next morning starting at 10:15. Signed up my mom, then went back and filled out the info for my dad. Didn’t enter insurance info (vaccinations are supposed to be free, and most places do not even charge an administration fee, although they are technically allowed to.)

Thursday morning. I’m off to a shoot and I thought it should be smooth sailing. My parents showed up early and were ready to get their first dose of the Moderna vaccine. Everything was fine when my mom checked in.

My dad’s turn. It almost didn’t happen. Someone told him he needed a New York license. He still has his CA license because it’s not expired, and he doesn’t drive here because, New York City. He brought multiple other forms to prove residency. Mail in his name sent to the apartment, his senior citizen Metrocard papers. And my mom, who has a New York license and is his WIFE.

The person said no.

Thankfully, my dad persisted, politely. They ran it up to someone else who also said no. He called me and said he was asking for a third time to get his info to someone else. I was like OH HELL NO. My parents did not go all the way to the Vaccine Promise Land to be turned away at the gate. So I told him if the 3rd person didn’t see the sense in giving him the shot, a senior with proof of residency who made an appointment, CALL ME AND I WILL TALK TO THEM. By the way, among the ways to prove your NY residency: a statement from another person (my mom being there would have sufficed) and current mail. Both of which, he brought!

Fortunately I got a text from him that my services would not be needed. After waiting for another half hour, he finally stood in front of the reception desk until he caught the eye of the original vaccine naysayer and the guy nodded and offered to finish my dad’s registration. What in the actual motherfather.

The entire experience took two hours.

A well oiled machine it was not. But my parents got their first dose, had sore arms for a day, and now they’re going back in 4 weeks.

vax dad.jpg — Finally getting the vaccine

What I learned:

1. The sign up process just to see if vaccine appointments are available requires an email address, a phone number, and at least a date of birth. People who are not tech savvy may take a long time to register just to find out there are no appointments. There’s no federal clearing house that is a one stop shop to help you plan your vaccine or help your family members in other states. STAY TUNED. That will be changing Thursday and I will update this post.

2. If you have time and can help seniors or others who need help in your neighborhood, in your family, at your church, or in your social circles, do it. Like this lady.

Once you get the hang of it, it is so satisfying to get those appointments locked down. I sent emails to my friends in NY and told at least 5 people how I did it so they could share the info with their families. The whole thing involved some luck and timing but I spent about 30 minutes looking online before I found these appointments. As we get more vaccines flowing, it should get easier too so don’t give up.

3. Don’t accept no. As a general rule in these situations. Always get a second or third or fourth opinion. Sometimes, like the CA DMV, a clerk doesn’t know the rules.

4. Bring multiple forms of proof of your residency, your job, your identity. You may not need it but if you run into someone with a “those are the rules” mentality, you’ll have more ammo to make a case.

5. Vaccine providers need to be able to use good judgment when interpreting the rules. Are you really turning away a senior citizen with an appointment from getting a shot that may otherwise be wasted? Give the shot.

6. Ask for help if you are having trouble. It is not that hard for your internet savvy relatives or friends to assist and hopefully you can find someone who will offer their time but you have to let them know you need the help.

7. And don’t leave without an appointment for your second dose if it’s part of the regimen. Make sure you’re in the system and you have a second appointment before you go home.

Good luck and may you channel your inner Asian Grandpa if needed. It shouldn’t be this hard but it is. Share with me your vaccine success stories or tips. Or horror stories. I want to hear it all. We are all in this together.