COVID19 Vaccinations in Los Angeles County: Making the shot - Part 2
By Leezel Tanglao
Tayo Project Director
February 19, 2021
This sounds like deja vu, but if you see or are offered a spot, just grab it.
This is still the case in Los Angeles County when it comes to getting the COVID19 vaccine.
Last month I took my mom and my two aunts for their COVID19 vaccine shots at Dodgers Stadium. They are all over the age of 80 so they were eligible for this phase of the vaccine rollout.
We had the last slot of the day on January 21, 2021. We were given a date of February 18, 2021 to return for the second shot.
The next 28 days was a rollercoaster of unpredictability with the current vaccine supply chains.
Everyday there was back and forth between whether there would be enough vaccines.
I started to worry if I would be able to get another appointment for my mom and aunts since we didn’t get automatically scheduled for a second appointment.
It wasn’t until January 30, 2021 when we were notified by Carbon Health, the appointment system used by the Los Angeles Fire Department Point of Distribution (POD) location at Dodgers Stadium via email that a message 3-7 days ahead of the date were we supposed to return would be sent to confirm our spot.
Depending on where you received the first shot and which entity administered it, your second shot location might be completely different.
So I waited and I started to get worried when it was getting closer to Feb. 18 and we still had not received a message yet.
On Feb. 13, we received the times for the second vaccine shots.
By this time, the mega PODs were prioritizing second dose appointments. I quickly confirmed all 3 appointments for Feb. 18.
All the times for my mom and aunts were spread out throughout the afternoon - 1:50pm, 3:40pm and 4:30pm.
Since I was the driver, I decided we will all just show up in time for the 1:50pm appointment. It would not make sense to go back and forth for other times.
We were all in one car.
Back to Dodgers
We made the trek back and this time around we experienced the heat of the California sun, whereas the first time we were under the cover of the night.
It still took a good hour and half until we reached the vaccine area.
The procedure was still the same.
Check in and wait.
By 2:44pm, mom received her final Moderna shot, followed by my two aunts shortly after.
After waiting about 30 mins, we were on our way home at little after 3pm.
Hours after my family completed final round of Moderna’s COVID19 vaccine, the Los Angeles Times reported that “Thousands of COVID-19 vaccine appointments scheduled Friday at sites run by the city of Los Angeles will have to be postponed after shipments of individual doses were delayed by the severe winter weather that's wreaking havoc across the country.”
Hopefully, as the months go by, the supply chain and distribution operations will improve so that everyone will have access to the vaccine.
For my mom and aunts, completing their vaccines came as relief to them.
She says it’s “nothing to be afraid (of)...it’s good!”
While we’re a step closer in turning the corner of this pandemic, we still have to remain vigilant.
We have to wear our masks, wash our hands and practice social distancing - it’s not for me, it’s for all of us.
Leezel Tanglao is Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) Vice President, COVID-19 Task Force Chair and Project Director of the Caretaker Project's Tayo help desk.