Chicagoans struggling to find an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine will soon be able to get help.
The online health care scheduling website Zocdoc is partnering with the City of Chicago and several hospitals, clinics and pharmacies to help Chicago citizens find vaccine appointments.
But the supply of vaccines remains far below demand. Tuesday’s announcement comes at a time when more than 700,000 Chicagoans eligible to be vaccinated are struggling to gain access to the limited number of doses.
“There are probably no vaccines for everyone on the first day, but at least now there is a central point where you can put your email to be notified when more vaccines are available,” said Dr. Oliver Kharraz, founder and CEO of Zocdoc. “And then you can see everyone [the appointments] without having to go through 10 different sites. “
Chicagoans can sign up for Zocdoc Vaccine Scheduler to be notified as appointments become available. The site is free to use and offers translation support in more than 100 languages. The city says that several local medical systems and hospitals, like Erie Family Health and Rush University Medical Center, are already enrolled – and others can connect for free.
Each week, the city receives about 35,000 doses from Pfizer and Moderna, the two companies with emergency use authorization for vaccine distribution. This week, the Modern Shipping increased, bringing the total new weekly doses to almost 40,000.
But health officials continue to ask people to be patient, as the supply remains low.
“Demand for the vaccine is understandably high and it is essential that we have tools that make it easier for eligible patients to obtain it safely and efficiently,” said Dr. Paul Casey, Rush medical director, in a statement.
Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said that Chicagoans should first try to schedule vaccine appointments with their primary care providers, if any. At the moment, many hospitals are reaching patients aged 65 and over to schedule appointments, as older people are less likely to browse an online scheduling tool.
Kharraz said the current system is “very frustrating” and “very inefficient” because it requires people to browse dozens of websites or spend hours on the phone.
“It is crucial to make this process easier so that, even if you don’t have unlimited time and resources, you can take one of these photos,” said Kharraz. “There are many things that we are doing for the first time as a society, but scheduling and access to care is not one of them and there is simply no time for trial and error to find out.”
There is a estimated 363,000 Chicagoans aged 65 and over who are now eligible, alongside 350,000 other essential frontline workers, such as teachers and grocery store clerks. These groups were prioritized because they had a higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 or, in the case of the elderly, a higher risk of dying from the virus.
Becky Vevea covers coronavirus vaccines and city policies for WBEZ. follow her @beckyvevea.