Help seniors schedule COVID vaccine appointments. [UPDATE 2/25 AT 9:30AM: JAVITS CENTER JUST OPENED 7K APPOINTMENTS FOR SECOND DOSES ONLY]

I have heard first-hand that trying to schedule a COVID vaccine appointment is a nightmare. And so yesterday I reached out to Erik Bottcher, who is the guy in the thumbnail running for election in November 2021 to represent City Council District 3 (which includes Chelsea) to see if he is undertaking any initiatives to help on this front.

It turns out the answer is yes. You can sign up to fight with your computer on behalf of a senior trying to get a vaccine appointment at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXGh1dar4DoMdvpzOsD9TMzAgRGIaqFaxvB7Yhx2jwUoi4Yg/viewform. Or, if you are eligible for a vaccine, you can sign up to get a volunteer to electronically fight on your behalf here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5apoS1rzkFPf049gZ7prSjTCi2FCuBRcVASY8A6cfGXWPCA/viewform.

Erik also put together a short note compiling websites that people are using to book vaccine appointments. Here it is: https://mailchi.mp/erikbottcher.com/email-4768707?e=2420005abd. I myself recently read in the NY Times about “turbovax,” which is a website built by Chelsea resident Huge Ma that compiles vaccine appointment availability from city and state vaccine systems. Nice.

***

UPDATE 2/25 AT 9:30AM: JAVITS CENTER JUST OPENED 7K APPOINTMENTS FOR SECOND DOSES ONLY: https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/locations.