If you are waiting impatiently for your turn to get the vaccine, you probably already know all the tricks to get an appointment. (If no, we have a guide here.) But there is another way that you can follow: the waiting list. Sometimes clinics have extra doses available at the end of the day, and if you are in the right place at the right time, you can get one.
Each clinic handles this situation differently, and different state laws can be applied, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution. But we can offer some tips, including signing up for Dr. B, a service that says it will send a text message if extra doses are suddenly made available in your area.
Why are extra doses sometimes available?
All three vaccines are shipped in multi-dose vials, five or six doses per vial. Once the bottle is opened, its contents must be used within six hours.
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Vaccines also have time limits that can stay at a certain temperature: for example, the Modern vaccine can stay in the refrigerator for 30 days, but you can’t freeze it again to save more time. In addition, vaccine bottles also have an expiration date.
Vaccine clinics try to plan their appointments according to available doses, but sometimes they need to open a bottle at the end of the day. Or, in rare cases, a freezer may fail and the team may have to administer a large number of doses in a short period of time, such as what happened in Seattle with freezer with 1,600 doses of Moderna.
Who qualifies for one of the extras doses?
This depends on state priority groups and state and local regulations. In general, extra doses are given to people who are already at the top of the priority lists, but in some cases they can be given to anyone.
How do I sign up?
There is no organized national or state register (that I can find) that serves as a waiting list. Clinics generally maintain their own lists of people to call when extra doses are available, including people who signed up for a vaccine but did not attend the appointment, and clinic staff or hospital patients who fall into priority groups.
Health startup Dr. B aims to combine people who want vaccines with clinics that offer extras, although TThe New York Times reports that they are only working with two clinics so far. The company plans to connect people with extra doses across the country, and says 200 clinics have already signed up for partners with them. They seem to be working within the existence of each state priority groups, so it will not allow you to skip the line if you are not yet qualified to be vaccinated.
To sign up, you must provide personal information to the for-profit company, which TThe New York Times says it has not yet described its business model. Although many people undoubtedly sign up to try increasing your chances of getting a vaccine sooner, you can also just wait and sign up for a consultation as soon as you are eligible.