Changes To Process For 2nd Week Of COVID Vaccine Rollout For People 65+, Educators
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- This Tuesday will be the second round of appointment openings for those who are 65 and older and educators to get vaccinated.
However, the process hasn't been as easy as it sounds for many. People told us they were confused by the process after long wait times, web sites crashing or calls not going through.
"After about two and a half hours, I thought 'enough of this' and moved out of the waitlist and I tried it again and I got the message that all the appointments were full," said Carol Theis, who lives in Burnsville and was one of thousands who tried, but couldn't get an appointment Tuesday for her COVID vaccine.
Minnesota's Department of Health tells us Theis was one of 10,000 hits on the appointments website per second at its peak, in addition to the more than 200,000 people who called in the hotline.
Theis put herself on the waitlist, but, like many, is confused about what's next.
"What my main concern is right now is what is the process for next Tuesday? Do I have to start all over again?" asked Theis.
MDH says the process will start all over from scratch next week. No one who is on the waitlist this week will have priority this upcoming Tuesday.
On Friday, Gov. Tim Walz acknowledged the confusion and broken communication.
"There is such a hunger in figuring out how this is going to go," Walz said.
He explained that right now the demand of those on the waitlist far exceeds the number of doses they can give out.
"I've got 2.5 million people in the queue right now 65 and above, educators and those with co-morbidities, and we found out were getting 68,000 [doses] next week again," Walz said.
MDH reminds people this is just a pilot program, where they are working out kinks each week to figure out what works and what doesn't.
"I think everyone would be more than willing to be patient, if they knew what the process was and what to do," said Theis.
Health officials tell us they're working to improve the scheduling system for next week. They say changes will be made before Tuesday when scheduling reopens again.
Click here to see how to call in or log next Tuesday, January 26 at 12 p.m.