‘It’s such a waste’
CT residents are on the hunt for excess COVID vaccine
For the past few weeks, Joel Leyden has spent much of his time hunting—and helping others hunt — for precious excess doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Leyden, who is 66 and lives in Manchester, started a Facebook group called “New York / Connecticut Vaccine Hunters,” on Feb. 1. In less than two weeks, the group has ballooned to over 2,600 members who include both eligible vaccineseekers looking for appointments and non-eligible ones looking for excess doses. People post their questions: Where can I get one? Who should I call? What should I say on the phone? Others offer
advice: try reloading the site right at midnight, try this place for an excess dose, look for canceled appointments here. They also post their success or failure stories. It’s a trend that has popped up all over the country, from southern Alabama to eastern Idaho.
“You get all these lifesaving tips that you don’t get from the state,” Leyden said of the crowdsourced information.
Vaccine hunters, as they call themselves, are mostly looking for one thing: excess vaccines. They call pharmacies and local vaccination sites daily to see if they can get on a waitlist, and often walk into Walgreens or CVS to wait until closing time. Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have a shelf life of just six hours once opened, and if they can’t be stuck in an arm, are put in the trash. The hunters are after missed appointments and doses that would otherwise be thrown out.
One member, 64-year-old Debbie Landry of Meriden, hasn’t had luck with an excess dose yet, but has made about 45 calls in the past few days and is on eight waitlists. She even wrote a letter to Gov. Lamont to ask him to encourage providers to give out their excess doses to consenting adults. Landry is about four months shy of the age cut-off.
“I’m desperate,” she said. “I have four grandchildren and we’re not able to be with them.”
By Leyden’s estimates, the group has helped hundreds find doses and appointments. And on Thursday, he started a campaign called Vaccine Angels, where people help secure appointments for seniors through the group.
Frequently, providers tell the hunters they cannot receive the shot if they’re not eligible, even if there is an extra dose that might go to waste. This is something that riles Leyden up.
“I just don’t want them to throw it away, I think it’s such a waste,” said Landry.
However, since January, the state government has offered guidance to vaccination distributors, encouraging them to keep a waitlist in the event of excess. Gov. Lamont has stated that it is important to get all viable vaccines into people’s arms. He also plans to announce a timeline for
access to frontline workers and those with preexisting medical conditions within the next 10 days or so.
“Helping senior and elderly neighbors and others who are currently eligible for vaccination sounds like another great example of neighbors helping neighbors,” wrote Maura Fitzgerald, who runs COVID communications for the state’s Department of Public Health. “Fortunately, we have a very strong spoilage/wastage policy that our vaccine providers are steadfastly following, resulting in very few wasted doses reported to DPH.”
Dr. Michael Parry of Stamford Health Medical Group said that he thinks most providers are good about managing doses to ensure optimal vaccine use and if there are extra doses, there is already a clear outline for who it should go to based on risk.
“I’m certainly not supportive of anything that deviates from that strategy,” he said, adding that of course, “any arm is better than no arm.”
The end-of-day vaccine protocol where Parry works is a rigorous one, with the head nurse helping staff combine resources so as not to open unnecessary vials. Tuesday, they had just one excess shot which went to an employee.
In Norwalk, city spokesperson Josh Morgan said they have a randomized waitlist of 65 and older residents over a thousand names deep that they usually call in for any leftovers.
And as more people become eligible and sign-up online, the number of lucky excess jabs are likely to decrease. The state is expected to further open eligibility during the summer and fall, at which point vaccinations wold be available at pharmacies, doctors offices, health clinics and through other providers, according to the state website.
Taking a shot
“Good Morning Vaccine Hunters! Is today your day?” Leyden writes in his first post to the Facebook group on Wednesday morning. He will spend the next few hours responding to the dozens of comments, questions, and posts. Leyden lives in Connecticut, but spent half his life in Israel, where he served in the military.
Several weeks ago, he saw a news piece about VaccineHunter.org, a site that compiles resources
across all 50 states for shot seekers, and his interest was piqued. After a quick search, Leyden realized the site didn’t have any crowdsourcing groups for Connecticut residents and decided to do something about it. Armed with some cursory research on how to find extra doses in his area, he created a Facebook group. At first, he just advertised the group to his own social media following, but the story was soon picked up by a local television station, and others quickly joined.
Leyden has a background in journalism, and is tech savvy. “When you integrate journalism, knowing how to get the message out, and social media, it becomes a very, very powerful tool,” he said.
Now, on VaccineHunters.org, Leyden’s Facebook group is the only one under the Connecticut tab. The posts are non-stop and Leyden said he’s suspended the vast majority of his daily work to just focus on this effort. He’s had to bring on moderators to help him answer all the comments and questions.
“It’s got to be one of the most rewarding efforts I’ve ever been involved in,” said Leyden. “And I’ve been involved in global disaster relief.”
“It feels nice and it feels good
to be a part of an organization where you’re helping people,” said Ruth Anderson, a 56-yearold from Coventry.
The group has become not just a crowdsourcing effort for vaccine information, but a support group, Leyden said. Often, the people who enter are just trying to find a local vaccination spot. Sometimes, they stay on and help others through the process. The vaccine hunters span from eligible residents struggling to find an appointment, to those not yet eligible but determined to find excess. People look for themselves, for spouses, for grandparents and immunocompromised children.
Leyden expects a surge in people joining the group in the next few weeks and months, and plans to add more moderators. He’s also had some success, himself, securing an excess shot about two weeks ago.
“What a beautiful day in my life that was.”
Finding a shot
Leyden frequently reminds shot seekers that it’s all about the three Ps: patience, persistence and politeness.
“I tell everyone, ‘give everyone an extra mile, because they’re really trying,’” Leyden said.
Getting an excess shot is not
taking a dose from someone in need, he said, because they were going to be thrown out anyway. “Excess is a different category, a different animal,” he said. It’s a sentiment echoed by others in the group.
Shortly after joining the Facebook group, Anderson was able to get excess vaccine from a nearby hospital, and said it felt like winning the lottery. Anderson didn’t want to mention the hospital’s name for fear of inundating them with calls from vaccine seekers. She told a few people who messaged her privately which hospital she’d had success in, but otherwise just provides helpful tactics and advice for securing a dose.
And Anderson plans to stick around to help others. In fact, Leyden made her a moderator.
With expanded eligibility, Anderson said there appear to be fewer excess doses available. Still, members continue to share resources, news articles, and advice in the hopes of finding an appointment or an extra, unused dose.
In the past 48 hours, Leyden has expanded his efforts— creating a group for Massachusetts and soon, one for Hawaii.
“Right now, it’s a citizen’s effort,” Leyden said. “It’s a really beautiful citizen’s effort.”