State launches vaccine scheduling website
The Oklahoma State Department of Health on Tuesday launched a website for Oklahomans to schedule their COVID-19 vaccines.
Starting 8 a.m. Thursday, some residents in certain priority groups will be eligible to schedule their first COVID-19 vaccines.
All Oklahomans can preregister at any time on the website, vaccinate.oklahoma.gov. The website asks for some personal information to determine at what point a person will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and nearby vaccination locations. Those who are not currently eligible but have signed up on the website will be notified via email when they can return to the portal to schedule their first dose.
The number of appointments offered will be dependent on the state' s supply of vaccines, said Keith Reed, Deputy Commissioner for the State Department of Health.
"There's one problem this thing does not solve — it doesn't get us more vaccine," he said. "Our appointments are limited by supply."
Currently, appointments are limited to healthcare workers, first responders and Oklahomans age 65 or older. There is no timeline yet on when the state will have enough doses to vaccinate other residents in high-risk categories.
“We know Oklahomans are eager to find out when and where they can get the vaccine, and we're thankful for their patience as our team quickly works to develop innovative solutions," Health Commissioner Dr. Lance Frye said in a news release. "We're hopeful that the launch of this portal will ease confusion and create a seamless experience for all Oklahomans.”
Earlier in the week, state officials described the scheduling portal as a smartphone application, but it is actually just a website built by Microsoft.
Tweaks will continue to be made to the website, and Reed said he is confident the portal will not crash. In a question-and-answers es si on with reporters, Reed encouraged all Oklahomans to use the portal to register, although he cautioned against everyone using the website at the same time.
"Anybody in Oklahoma can go in and register for this right now, but I really wouldn't want four million people in Oklahoma to try and register today," he said.
By Wednesday e veni ng, roughly 103,542 people had registered.
Previously, county health departments were scheduling appointments through online sign-up forms. The website is intended to replace the county sign-ups.
The state is still vaccinating some Oklahomans in Phase 1 of the state's four-phase distribution plan while also opening up vaccinations to some people in Phase 2.
With an estimated 635,000 Oklahomans age 65 or older, it could take months for all of the state's seniors to be vaccinated at the current rate.
State officials have said appointment scheduling will largely be done on a weekto-week basis after they are notified how many doses Oklahoma will receive for the following week. Oklahoma should receive about 32,550 initial vaccine doses this week and 46,300 next week.
Vaccinations scheduled through the state's website will largely be administered at one of more than 70 PODS, or pointof- dispensing sites, spread across Oklahoma.
The sites will only be open for certain hours on specified days, and vaccine availability can vary from one location to another. Appointments will have to be scheduled. Walk-in appointments will not be offered.
Those who don't want to sign up through the scheduling website can call their county health department to schedule a vaccination.
COVID-19 vaccines require two doses, spaced weeks apart. Those who have already received their first dose do not need to schedule their second shot through the portal because their second appointment should already be reserved for them.
For more information, visit oklahoma.gov/COVID19 or call 211. State health officials have said public health officials will be staffing the phone line to answer vaccine questions.
Reporter Carmen Forman covers state government, politics and the COVID-19 pandemic for The Oklahoman. Send story tips to cforman@oklahoman. com or connect on Twitter with @CarmenMForman. Please support the work of Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a print or digital subscription today at oklahoman.com/subscribe.