If you are looking forward to getting a vaccine, you probably already know all the tricks for making an appointment. (If not, we have a guide here.) But there is another way you could follow: the waiting list. Sometimes clinics will have extra doses at the end of the day and if you are in the right place at the right time, you may be wrong.
Each clinic handles this situation differently and different state laws may apply, so there is no single solution. But we can offer some tips, including signing up for Dr. B, a service that says it will send you a text message if extra doses suddenly become available in your area.
Why are additional doses sometimes available?
All three vaccines are delivered in multiple dose vials, five or six doses per vial. Once a bottle is opened, its contents must be used within six hours.
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Vaccines also have limits on the time they can spend at a certain temperature: for example, the Moderna vaccine can spend 30 days in the refrigerator, but you can’t freeze it to gain more time. In addition, vaccine vials have an expiration date.
Vaccine clinics try to schedule appointments to match the available doses, but sometimes they have to open a bottle at the end of the day. Or, in rare cases, a freezer may fail and staff may be required to administer a large number of doses in a short time, such as what happened in Seattle with a freezer containing 1,600 doses Modern.
Who qualifies to get one of the extras doses?
This depends on the state priority groups and state and local regulations. Additional doses are usually given to people who are already at the top of the priority lists, but in some cases can be given to anyone.
How do I register?
There is no organized national or state register (which I could find) to serve as a waiting list. Clinics often keep their own lists of people to call on when additional doses are available, including people who have been enrolled for a vaccine but have had to miss their appointment, as well as clinic staff or hospital patients who fall in priority groups.
Health startup Dr. B aims to match people who want vaccines with clinics that have supplements, although The New York Times reports that so far he only works with two clinics. The company aims to connect people with additional doses nationwide and says 200 clinics have requested the partner with them. It seems to work within every existing state priority groups, so this will not let you cross the line if you are not yet eligible to be vaccinated.
To register, you must provide personal information to the for-profit company, which TThe New York Times says he hasn’t described it yet business model. While many people will no doubt sign up for a photo increasing their chances of getting a vaccine earlier, you can also stay close and sign up for an appointment as soon as you are eligible.