New Hampshire’s new vaccination scheduling website COVID-19 is battling strong demand on Monday, as residents aged 50 to 64 years in the state seek to schedule their vaccines.
The Vaccination and Immunization Network Interface, or VINI, was launched last week, successfully processing 6,700 applications for individuals in Phase 2A, including teachers and child care staff.
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But Monday was the first real test of the site, as some 200,000 residents newly eligible for Phase 2B started trying to register for vaccines at 8am on Monday.
While some residents are successfully navigating the system, others are reporting technical problems, delays and error messages on VINI.
“This is so frustrating!” Roxanne Galica of Peterborough told NHPR. “I know that they are working hard to resolve the issue, but I was under the impression that they had maintained the site in preparation for the launch of 2B. So why is it not working as it should? “
The state is acknowledging the technical problems, posting a message on vaccines.nh.gov apologizing for the delays.
“An unprecedented amount of web traffic was experienced this morning, a good sign that Granite Staters is ready and eager to receive its vaccine, which has caused delays in some,” said Governor Chris Sununu in a statement. “Applications were accepted and continue to be processed at an ever-increasing rate, with more than 35,000 having scheduled an appointment in the first three hours.”
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On social media on Monday morning, many Granite Staters expressed frustration or confusion about their efforts to register.
“All I can think about is ‘God bless the IT team’. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes now, ”tweeted Ellen Kolb, who also faced technical problems when trying to sign up for an appointment.
The state’s COVID-19 hotline is facing great demand on Monday morning, with several residents telling NHPR they were unable to call to schedule an appointment.
Michelle Gaudet, from Chester, spent the morning trying to register her husband for the vaccine, but so far has failed to fill out the form. Gaudet said he tried to call the state’s COVID-19 hotline, 2-1-1, but the line is busy without surprise.
A frustration is the lack of a place to report your problems.
“When I click on the Salesforce help section, it takes me to this page that looks like a page I would have if I had a Salesforce account,” she said.
VINI replaces the VAMS scheduling system administered by the federal government, an unstable website that has proved frustrating for residents aged 65 and over. Along with a simplified user interface, VINI has also been designed to allow residents to search for appointments without having to cancel existing appointments.
(Editor’s note: this story was last updated at 11:30 am.)