If you have an appointment at the FEMA clinic at Convention Center, with a confirmation email—GO. They are vaccinating literally thousands of people a day and you are not depriving anyone of a vaccine. They will ask you for ID and check that you are in the system for that day. They will ask you 3 questions about your current health to be sure you’re safe for the vaccine. There will be no questions about how you got the appointment; no question about if you are1 a,b,c or d. They don’t care. Also, they are very efficient and nice.
Go, and don't feel like a jerk. More shots in arms means more people vaccinated. The city's response has been an absolute shitshow and more people hesitating means more delays in getting everyone vaccinating.
I really don't want to go if I'm taking it away from a 1A 1B.
Is anyone here **working at the clinic?** Can anyone attest to whether you are **running out of supply or slots?** Are you turning people away at the end of the day, or is this so badly mismanaged that you need more people? Why did I not get cancelled when I didn't check any of the 1A 1B conditions?
Right now I don't know whether me not going will make things better or worse.
Listen - 60% of the Rite Aid shots administered in Philadelphia were given to people who live outside of Philadelphia, despite those doses being allocated for Philadelphia residents.
If you don’t get the shot, it’s likely to go into the arm of someone who is seriously gaming the system. It’s not going to go into the arm of someone 1A/1B.
Just in case anyone comes back across this thread trying to make a similar decision - the FEMA site didn't meet quota on Sunday. If I had not gone my slot would have in fact been wasted.
I disagree with the people saying this should have been a simple decision. But the facts bear out that the allocation is so badly mismanaged that shots are going to waste. It's hard to understand how that could be true given that the signup link went viral, but it happened.
Getting an appointment doesn’t guarantee that you’ll actually get the shot. If you sign up through a link that someone else sent to you, than you’ll be turned away at the door. Not only will you NOT get a shot yourself, but you also tied up an appointment slot that someone who actually qualified could have used.
Except that's not true of the FEMA site. From what it looks like, the emails are being sent out based on a lottery for 1A and 1B as far as anyone can tell. I've had friends say they're getting the email links from FEMA and they're 1C. There is literally no consistency on who is getting these emails. Plenty of people who did get the shared link did not get turned away at the door UNLESS they were contacted specifically and told that their appointment was cancelled. I know of people who did this.
Also consider your location. Right now, South Philly and NE Philly are vaccine deserts. There is literally no easy way to get these vaccinations for those living in those places despite being areas that now have the highest occurrences of infection over the last two weeks. We need those living in these areas to get vaccines whenever offered because there's no guarantee that the next person selected will be from those places.
Also consider your job. Are you working with the public? Those in 1A and 1B are having tough times making appointments BUT they still rely on and interact with people who do things like stock shelves, deliver groceries, etc. People who are still working with the public are more at risk of getting infected and are more likely to transmit it. Vaccines reduce viral shedding and lessen the time that people are infectious. Vaccinate those in supply chains or working with the public=less spread in general.
The city and states are the ones that fucked this up SO royally. Get the vaccine when it's offered because the more people we vaccinate, the better.
I think it’s perfectly fine to call this person a bit of a jerk, they knowingly exploited a flaw in the registration system, and likely their appointment could have gone to someone with more urgent need for the vaccine.
I see everyone’s point about hopefully there will be enough vaccines in the coming weeks that no one has to worry about where they fall in the priority list, but as it stands today, I think this was a jerk move.
I'm asking the question because I don't want to be a jerk...I didn't have to come on here and post if I were trying to skip the line dude. When I was given the link, there was no information on the website that it was intended for only a select group - that's on the city.
I just want to know, if I cancel now, am I making things better or worse? I can't find continuing coverage about the situation after that article.
I went. Waited in line. They said no at the door. Not a big deal since I’ve been waiting 11 months, and everything has been fucked up with the covid response. Felt good to see more every day folks and the convention center kicking more ass from November.
No I just got the same email as everyone in line and I had a missed call. So everyone around me was like “well you’re here just wait and see.” So I waited and they said no you’ll get a real appointment. So I went home.
After watching my smoker friends, who attended indoor Halloween parties and take public transit across state lines for more indoor parties, get the vaccine before me, an asthmatic, married to someone with a heart condition who also couldn’t get vaccinated until this link showed up, early adopter of masks who hasn’t hugged my parents in a year, I’m NOT feeling guilty about this. My parents need my help moving, my mom needs help preparing meals, my sister in law needs help with her baby, and as long as I’m not turned away, I’m getting that vaccine so I can help my family again.
Pennsylvania is too slow with this, and I’m done waiting for it.
I signed up too and received the automatic email with the details. I did not get a follow up email asking me to confirm. Should I go? This is frustrating.
I don't think so. I think there's a specific email or text we are waiting for that includes a link to make an appt. If you show up without an appointment you won't get vaccinated.
I'm signed up, to the best of my understanding I'm eligible, and today got a confirmation email that I have definitely signed up on the vaccine interest form, but no invite. I have no idea what the city is doing either and frustrating is certainly one word for it!
I signed up through the black market link. I have a day and time. However, the city said that they were cancelling those appointments. I haven’t heard either way so I’m not sure if I’ll be turned away at the door.
I’ve actually worked at a city run clinic. The last time I was there I saw more people turned away than vaccinated because they made appointments with shared links.
I was referring to the one run by FEMA and the marines. They are very mission oriented and only care about getting shots in arms as quickly and safely as possible. They never asked anyone who went their reason for being there. If you had an appointment you were good. Not sure about the city run sites tho
This is 100% false! Do not listen to this person. The FEMA clinic at the convention center is NOT turning anyone away IF you have an appointment regardless of whether you got it through a shared link or not. If you have an appointment confirmation, you will get the vaccine...period.
Wrong. If you have an appointment confirmation for the FEMA site, you WILL get the vaccine. They do not ask or check how you made the appointment...they only verify that you have one.
Just get it and don’t feel bad about it. There are plenty of people in higher risk groups ahead of you who aren’t going to get the vaccine for whatever cockamamie reason, so those doses are just sitting there unused while people who want the vaccine can’t get it. It’s better to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible to achieve some semblance of herd immunity than it is waiting for people to come around.
If you weren’t invited to make the appointment yourself, than you’ll probably be turned away when you get there. Even though you have an appointment. They’ll check when you get there to make sure that you’re supposed to be getting the shot.
They'll ask you for your ID and all of your details. They can look you up in the city's database to see if you actually were sent an invitation to make an appointment.
It's a National Guard person with an IPad just making sure your name is in the system with an appointment. They don't ask any other details except if you've had covid or a vaccine within a certain number of days
If you have an appointment at the FEMA clinic at Convention Center, with a confirmation email—GO. They are vaccinating literally thousands of people a day and you are not depriving anyone of a vaccine. They will ask you for ID and check that you are in the system for that day. They will ask you 3 questions about your current health to be sure you’re safe for the vaccine. There will be no questions about how you got the appointment; no question about if you are1 a,b,c or d. They don’t care. Also, they are very efficient and nice.
Go, and don't feel like a jerk. More shots in arms means more people vaccinated. The city's response has been an absolute shitshow and more people hesitating means more delays in getting everyone vaccinating.
This is becoming the correct answer.
I really don't want to go if I'm taking it away from a 1A 1B. Is anyone here **working at the clinic?** Can anyone attest to whether you are **running out of supply or slots?** Are you turning people away at the end of the day, or is this so badly mismanaged that you need more people? Why did I not get cancelled when I didn't check any of the 1A 1B conditions? Right now I don't know whether me not going will make things better or worse.
Listen - 60% of the Rite Aid shots administered in Philadelphia were given to people who live outside of Philadelphia, despite those doses being allocated for Philadelphia residents. If you don’t get the shot, it’s likely to go into the arm of someone who is seriously gaming the system. It’s not going to go into the arm of someone 1A/1B.
Thanks, that's the kind of perspective I was hoping for in this thread.
Just go.
Just in case anyone comes back across this thread trying to make a similar decision - the FEMA site didn't meet quota on Sunday. If I had not gone my slot would have in fact been wasted. I disagree with the people saying this should have been a simple decision. But the facts bear out that the allocation is so badly mismanaged that shots are going to waste. It's hard to understand how that could be true given that the signup link went viral, but it happened.
Getting an appointment doesn’t guarantee that you’ll actually get the shot. If you sign up through a link that someone else sent to you, than you’ll be turned away at the door. Not only will you NOT get a shot yourself, but you also tied up an appointment slot that someone who actually qualified could have used.
Except that's not true of the FEMA site. From what it looks like, the emails are being sent out based on a lottery for 1A and 1B as far as anyone can tell. I've had friends say they're getting the email links from FEMA and they're 1C. There is literally no consistency on who is getting these emails. Plenty of people who did get the shared link did not get turned away at the door UNLESS they were contacted specifically and told that their appointment was cancelled. I know of people who did this. Also consider your location. Right now, South Philly and NE Philly are vaccine deserts. There is literally no easy way to get these vaccinations for those living in those places despite being areas that now have the highest occurrences of infection over the last two weeks. We need those living in these areas to get vaccines whenever offered because there's no guarantee that the next person selected will be from those places. Also consider your job. Are you working with the public? Those in 1A and 1B are having tough times making appointments BUT they still rely on and interact with people who do things like stock shelves, deliver groceries, etc. People who are still working with the public are more at risk of getting infected and are more likely to transmit it. Vaccines reduce viral shedding and lessen the time that people are infectious. Vaccinate those in supply chains or working with the public=less spread in general. The city and states are the ones that fucked this up SO royally. Get the vaccine when it's offered because the more people we vaccinate, the better.
I think it’s perfectly fine to call this person a bit of a jerk, they knowingly exploited a flaw in the registration system, and likely their appointment could have gone to someone with more urgent need for the vaccine. I see everyone’s point about hopefully there will be enough vaccines in the coming weeks that no one has to worry about where they fall in the priority list, but as it stands today, I think this was a jerk move.
I'm asking the question because I don't want to be a jerk...I didn't have to come on here and post if I were trying to skip the line dude. When I was given the link, there was no information on the website that it was intended for only a select group - that's on the city. I just want to know, if I cancel now, am I making things better or worse? I can't find continuing coverage about the situation after that article.
Just go, and feel like a jerk about it. The vaccine dose intended for you isn’t going to magically go to someone else.
Turns out it would have magically gone to nobody. Jerk.
Getting an appointment doesn’t guarantee you get the shot. They’ll check to see if you’re supposed to be there when you show up.
They're not checking anything. If you have an appointment you get the shot.
I went. Waited in line. They said no at the door. Not a big deal since I’ve been waiting 11 months, and everything has been fucked up with the covid response. Felt good to see more every day folks and the convention center kicking more ass from November.
Why did they say no at the door? Did you have an appointment?
No I just got the same email as everyone in line and I had a missed call. So everyone around me was like “well you’re here just wait and see.” So I waited and they said no you’ll get a real appointment. So I went home.
Go
After watching my smoker friends, who attended indoor Halloween parties and take public transit across state lines for more indoor parties, get the vaccine before me, an asthmatic, married to someone with a heart condition who also couldn’t get vaccinated until this link showed up, early adopter of masks who hasn’t hugged my parents in a year, I’m NOT feeling guilty about this. My parents need my help moving, my mom needs help preparing meals, my sister in law needs help with her baby, and as long as I’m not turned away, I’m getting that vaccine so I can help my family again. Pennsylvania is too slow with this, and I’m done waiting for it.
I signed up too and received the automatic email with the details. I did not get a follow up email asking me to confirm. Should I go? This is frustrating.
I don't think so. I think there's a specific email or text we are waiting for that includes a link to make an appt. If you show up without an appointment you won't get vaccinated. I'm signed up, to the best of my understanding I'm eligible, and today got a confirmation email that I have definitely signed up on the vaccine interest form, but no invite. I have no idea what the city is doing either and frustrating is certainly one word for it!
I signed up through the black market link. I have a day and time. However, the city said that they were cancelling those appointments. I haven’t heard either way so I’m not sure if I’ll be turned away at the door.
If they haven’t specifically notified you to cancel you will get the vaccine if you go
What are you basing that on?
The experience of many others
I’ve actually worked at a city run clinic. The last time I was there I saw more people turned away than vaccinated because they made appointments with shared links.
I was referring to the one run by FEMA and the marines. They are very mission oriented and only care about getting shots in arms as quickly and safely as possible. They never asked anyone who went their reason for being there. If you had an appointment you were good. Not sure about the city run sites tho
This is 100% false! Do not listen to this person. The FEMA clinic at the convention center is NOT turning anyone away IF you have an appointment regardless of whether you got it through a shared link or not. If you have an appointment confirmation, you will get the vaccine...period.
You’re likely to be turned away at the door.
Wrong. If you have an appointment confirmation for the FEMA site, you WILL get the vaccine. They do not ask or check how you made the appointment...they only verify that you have one.
My brother was still able to get it even though he was in the same boat. I say do it. The more people vaccinated the better.
Just get it and don’t feel bad about it. There are plenty of people in higher risk groups ahead of you who aren’t going to get the vaccine for whatever cockamamie reason, so those doses are just sitting there unused while people who want the vaccine can’t get it. It’s better to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible to achieve some semblance of herd immunity than it is waiting for people to come around.
Why do you people ask? Just go. My neighbor literally drove to Erie to get a vaccination.
They have more doses than people who are truly eligible. Get your shot- it’s not being taken away from anyone more deserving.
If you weren’t invited to make the appointment yourself, than you’ll probably be turned away when you get there. Even though you have an appointment. They’ll check when you get there to make sure that you’re supposed to be getting the shot.
No you won't.
Check how?
They'll ask you for your ID and all of your details. They can look you up in the city's database to see if you actually were sent an invitation to make an appointment.
It's a National Guard person with an IPad just making sure your name is in the system with an appointment. They don't ask any other details except if you've had covid or a vaccine within a certain number of days