Sign-up issues persist for Louisville residents eligible for COVID-19 vaccine

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- While health care professionals point to insufficient supply as the biggest obstacle in getting more Kentuckians vaccinated for COVID-19, many residents say landing an appointment remains a challenge.

Beverly Rafferty, 71, of Louisville tried for weeks to schedule a vaccination appointment for herself and her husband. She made phone calls, sent emails to elected leaders and clicked on every sign-up link she could find to no avail.

"I think this has been helter-skelter since the beginning," she said. "It's been very frustrating."

Rafferty wasn't the only one facing scheduling issues and confusion. Appointments in the city are filling up as soon as they become available, often in a matter of minutes, leaving many residents who are eligible for vaccination behind.

"I have a very old computer," she said. "It likes to crash a lot, and I kept thinking that was part of the problem I was having."

Louisville health officials are trying to vaccinate people as fast as they can.

UofL Health on Monday opened a new vaccination site at Mary & Elizabeth Hospital and will open another in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, later in the week. Both sites require appointments and will only vaccinate residents who are eligible under the current phases (1A and 1B) of the state's vaccination plan.

Norton Healthcare, meanwhile, continues to work through its vaccination waitlist, which has grown to 35,000 people age 70 and older. Of those people, 10,000 were still waiting as of Tuesday to be scheduled for an appointment.

But health care leaders like Dr. Chuck Anderson at Baptist Health still point to supply as the biggest constraint on vaccination capacity.

"We're scheduling as we know what vaccine is coming in, and so that's been a disappointment to us and to those who want the vaccine," said Anderson, Baptist Health's chief medical officer. "We're encouraging everyone to get the vaccine wherever you can get it at the appropriate time."

For those trying to sign up, persistence pays off. Rafferty was finally able to get appointments for herself and her husband after booking through UofL Health. To check for openings with the health care provider, click here. For other options, click here.

Now that Rafferty and her husband have appointments, she encouraged others not to give up.

"You can't just make one call and think that's going to take care of it," she said. "You have to stay on top of it."

Related Stories: