Residents were disappointed with the COSA registration process for the Covid-19 vaccine

San Antonio – Thousands of residents were disappointed on Saturday morning after learning that all 9,000 slots were filled within minutes of trying to register online for the Covid-19 vaccine at the Alamodome vaccination site.

“At 8:58, 8:59, I had coffee in my hand, sitting in front of the computer, ready with my hands on the keyboard ready to connect,” said Arlene Converse, 71. “I logged in and the site wouldn’t have loaded and then around 9:02, it loaded and when it loaded, bam! Immediately, the registration is complete. “

The 9,000 slots available for next week were taken within six minutes of the registration opening, according to city officials. More than 11,000 people were on the city’s registration site when it opened at 9 a.m.

The vaccination site at Alamodome will start administering vaccines on Monday.

Converse became eligible for the vaccine after Phase 1B entered into force on 4 January. He struggled to get anywhere near the vaccine.

“I was extremely prepared and excited when I heard about this registration process,” Converse said. “I felt that they finally hit the nail on the head. That’s what everyone wanted, but that too seemed to fail again. “

She said it was an uphill battle that went through the other steps.

“I tried everything when they came out with the look in San Antonio,” Converse said. “No one answered the phone. None of the sites would work. They have not been set up for any investigation or registration. Any phone calls I made in the previous week failed. They were overwhelmed, so they couldn’t get all the calls, and the websites weren’t created to answer questions. “

Converse said he had a moment of hope, but he also went south.

“I managed to pick up a person on the phone on January 4th,” Converse said. “A real human being. Come find out, I wasn’t the first to answer, so they said I couldn’t get it. I mention to the lady that I had as much eligibility as a first answer from January 4, but they didn’t. This led to more frustration. “

Converse said his biggest problem is that there seems to be a lack of communication.

“We have no clue as to the status of anything,” Converse said. “We are very disappointed because there is no one to talk to or ask for information. I know some places are upset that people show up and line up without ringing, but they do it because no one answers the phones. They hope to either get information or get vaccinated. “

Converse said getting the COVID-19 vaccine is so important to her.

“Getting the vaccine means I can go on with my life,” Converse said. “I just spent a year of my life sitting alone. I haven’t been with my grandchildren. I spent Christmas alone. I didn’t go anywhere for Thanksgiving. I had a friend invite me, but I didn’t go. They convinced us so much that if we go out and go anywhere that we are so susceptible to the virus, so it is important for me to continue with my life to get back in touch with the people I care about and to be able to see them. . “

She said she encourages everyone to try to get the vaccine.

“Even though many people are reluctant to receive this vaccine, they fully understand it. I’m not happy to receive any vaccines, but I’m glad we have the opportunity to have a vaccine that will bring us back to a normal lifestyle. “

Converse said she is particularly concerned about the elderly during this process.

“I work full time, I’m 71, I’m healthy and I’m a tech-savvy person,” Converse said. “But there are a lot of older people who don’t have the technological experience. They can’t download apps to their phones or log on to the computer to connect. This is up to the grandchildren, but this can be difficult because their family members have their own lives and jobs and things to worry about. Communication is interrupted. There needs to be a better way to register. “

As more vaccines enter San Antonio and Bexar County, registration openings will become more available. For now, city officials are urging patients among residents as more vaccines become available.

“We received 187,000 calls and an overwhelming amount of visits to the site today at 9:00,” city manager Erik Walsh said in a statement. “Thank you for your patience. We understand that some may be frustrated that there are no more doses available, but we are sending the message to state leaders that we are equipped to deliver every dose we receive. We look forward to starting our operation on Monday and we will inform the community as we receive more information from the state. ”

Those eligible for vaccines include health workers and residents of long-term care facilities, known as Phase 1A and Phase 1B, which includes residents over the age of 65 or residents over the age of 16. and over, with a chronic condition.

These chronic medical conditions include: cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), heart disease, solid organ transplantation, obesity and severe obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease and type 2 diabetes.

Registration for the COVID-19 vaccine on the Alamodome website is complete in just a few minutes

The city of San Antonio will transform Alamodome into a COVID-19 vaccination site at no cost

Two COVID-19 vaccination sites coming to San Antonio’s South Side, West Side