Long Islanders Encounter Problems, Long Waits To Schedule Vaccine

LONG ISLAND, NY —A day after New York State expanded coronavirus eligibility to millions of people considered part of the 1b group, Long Islanders were still having trouble booking appointments. The new group included residents over 75 years old, teachers, first responders, and transit and grocery workers. On Tuesday morning, Gov. Cuomo announced eligibility would extend further, to those over 65 years of age.

Christine Doxey-Van Guilder is a teacher from West Islip who struggled to book her spot.

"It’s a big hot mess. The spots were literally gone within minutes and then the site crashed. If they want everyone to get the vaccine, at least the people willing to get it, they have to do a better job of running these sites," she told Patch.

Van Guilder was eventually able to snag an appointment but says many of her friends and coworkers were not as lucky.

The full qualifications for who can get vaccinated in this phase are on the New York "Am I Eligible" website.

Long Islanders shared tips about what sites had availability across social media on Monday. Some found openings at Jones Beach, but not until March. Others reported spending hours trying to find an available slot.

New York State is planning to open 20 sites for mass vaccinations in the coming weeks but it is still unclear how the state's current rate of receiving 300,000 doses weekly will work with now seven million eligible residents.