It's not impossible to find an appointment to obtain a Covid-19 vaccination. After all, some 3.3 million New Yorkers already have.
But it's not as easy as some might like.
Just as there is no single source for vaccines, there is no single source for appointments. But perhaps, if you're patient, and somewhat lucky, these tips might help you score a shot.
1. Make sure you're eligible
About 10 million New Yorkers – roughly half the state's population – are eligible for a vaccination based on their job, their health or their age. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has steadily increased the number of eligible groups, to the point that the Health Department's description of who's eligible for a shot now runs more than 800 words.
You don't need to read that, however. Just go to the state Health Department website and see if there are appointments available. Then click "Get started" to go through the short eligibility questionnaire, which asks you to affirm you live or work in New York State, asks for your age and ZIP code, and asks questions – lately, only two – to determine which category of eligibility you fall under.
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2. Don't waste time with repetition
Once you've gone through that questionnaire and get onto the page where you can see where appointments are – or aren't – available, feel free to bookmark that page. There's no need to go through the initial questionnaire again.
This is the page you have to keep refreshing, because opportunities come and go. If someone cancels at a site that's listed as fully booked, it might become available again – but not for long. That being the case, you should click on "Schedule your vaccine appointment" occasionally, because, as the New York Lottery used to say, "Hey, you never know."
County health departments, like Erie or Niagara, have their own registration sites for clinics they operate. They generally tell you up front if they have vaccine or not.
3. Don't forget the phone
The state operates a toll-free phone number, 833-697-4829, where you can try to get an appointment. They can't make them magically appear, but you could get lucky and call in just when something is available at a location the website says is booked.
Also, if the phone system isn't too crowded, after a couple of minutes you'll get an option to have them call you back when it's your turn. Take that option. They really do call back, and you get to talk to a human being. The line is staffed from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
The bad news: Sometimes the system glitches and your call is dropped. If that happens, a worker explained, they can't call you back because the person you're talking to never actually sees your phone number.
If you live in Niagara County, you have another option: The not-for-profit human services hotline 211 will book an appointment for you, if one is available at a Niagara County-operated site. Hit 8 at the main menu to see if anything is open.
4. Get on a waiting list
The state doesn't have a waiting list for shots, but some pharmacies do, generally independents rather than chain stores. When they get vaccine – which has not been plentiful for pharmacies lately – they will call people on their list. The waiting list might be available through the store's website or by phone.
5. Read the fine print
The state set up the system so that certain types of patients are supposed to use only certain types of vendors. For example, pharmacies are supposed to serve only those 65 or over. Some counties mention a residency restriction for their local sites.
6. Be willing to travel
If you can drive, you improve your chances, although it seems like few people would be as willing as a woman who told her story to The Buffalo News recently about booking an appointment in Potsdam. But it hasn't been unusual for Western New Yorkers to journey to Rochester or Syracuse for appointments.
