Unable to get a vaccine appointment? You are not alone

Knowing that other people are getting the vaccine makes it very frustrating for some people who have been unable to secure an appointment.

News 12 Staff

Feb 23, 2021, 12:22 PM

Updated 1,326 days ago

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With over 121,000 Westchester residents having been vaccinated, there is probably a good chance that you know someone who has gotten a shot.
Knowing that other people are getting the vaccine makes it very frustrating for some people who have been unable to secure an appointment. "The government site just keeps saying, 'None available,'" complains Mary-Ellen Smith, of Port Chester
Mary-Ellen Smith and her husband are both over 65. Both are eligible but both have been unsuccessful getting an appointment for weeks. "I just said to my husband the other day, I should get paid for the amount of time I sit here and have to do this," says Smith.
What makes it worse for Smith is that her backyard backs up to Greenwich, Connecticut, and many of her friends there are already vaccinated. "All within a couple days. And we're sitting here weeks on end and we can't even get an appointment."
AARP New York says nearly 44% of members successfully signed up for a COVID-19 shot - which is progress from less than 10% last month but still means that less than half its members could get an appointment. The organization says some appointments are too far for people to travel to.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer says some seniors have trouble using computers to make an appointment. "If there aren't guaranteed vaccines, then appointments cannot be set up," says Latimer.
Also, some appointments are being cancelled at a major New York health system. News 12 obtained an email from Mount Sinai, sent out just a few days ago, saying they received no new supplies of first-dose vaccines this week so they have had to cancel all patient first-dose appointments, except at Mount Sinai South Nassau. The hospital network says "the expansion of city and state vaccination sites has put pressure on continued supplies to hospitals."
For the best ways for you to get your vaccine appointment, go to the Turn to Tara tab on our website to see that story.