Publix Vaccine Website

[navinle]

Just spent an hour on this website trying t get a nearby appt. It took 40 minutes to let me on the site to fill out an application--then when I was ready to confirm they said someone had beat me to it. Only Deland had times available. Even if I could have got one then I would have then had to try to find a time for my wife. This whole thing is a terrible bad joke!

[kansasr]

Did anyone ever see Mulberry or even Bellview this time. Only saw Ocala locations in Marion County and every time you picked an available time you were told it had already been taken and you had to go back and renter info, losing valuable time. With the exception of Palm Beach County, which started with almost 10,000 available, everything was about gone by 7am.

[raynan]

I went on at 6am and didn't even get that far to fill out form. Page just kept refreshing as I sat there and watched Marion and Citrus Counties numbers going down, down, down.

[Viperguy]

If you got on, you were the luck ones. At least as other folks get the vaccine it should help our immunity a bit....one would hope

[skyking]

I signed on this morning and was lucky enough to get in with about 50 Marion County immunizations remaining. I filled out the forms and the last page displayed the remaining open appointments. I chose a time and date and the message said I had completed the process. Then a screen came up with my information and a red notice that there was one item in error. It said the time requested was taken. It then returned me to the initial application page and locked me out. Who writes these programs?

[papillon]

That was a waste of 1-1/2 hours this morning on the Publix web site. How far are you willing to drive to get a jab?

[retiredguy123]

The Publix system is getting worse, not better. I already got my first shot, But I have been trying to schedule an appointment for others.

You can register your phone number with the new Lake County system by calling 866-201-6909. They say that they will call you to make an appointment on the phone. The vaccine location is the Lake Square Mall in Leesburg.

[SIRE1]

I was able to get in this morning and was able to get an appointment for my wife and I. I had looked at the TOTV post titled "A "Gambler’s Guide" :) to Booking a Vaccination with Publix" and used that as a guide to prepare "IF" I was able to get in. Had also printed a list of stores from the Publix website and selected a store in Ocala that looked to be a little way from any of the big retirement communities (e.g. The Villages, Top of the World, and Del Webb) where I thought a lot of people would select because it would be close to them.

Logged onto the Publix web site with a laptop, and 2 tablets about 5:55 am. Watched the screen refresh every minute until got the sign in link on one of the tablets. Nice thing is that once you go through the process and book an appointment, it allows you to book another one for your spouse right away. Was done around 6:40 am. Almost better than winning that big lottery, but that would have been nice too!!! Good Luck to everyone who couldn't get an appointment today.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

The Publix system is getting worse, not better. I already got my first shot, But I have been trying to schedule an appointment for others.

You can register your phone number with the new Lake County system by calling 866-201-6909. They say that they will call you to make an appointment on the phone. The vaccine location is the Lake Square Mall in Leesburg.

I got my first shot at Publix in Deland on Monday and they gave me an appointment for exactly four weeks at the same time.

Did you not get the little card?

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I went on at 6:30 last Friday morning. I waited about 45 minutes for the site to open. There were appointments available in Ocala but while I fiddled around trying to figure out which one was closest they were taken. I took an appointment on Monday in Deland which was about an hour's drive. I thought the site worked pretty well and didn't mind the hour's drive. Got my shot, and got a card saying that I had a shot with an appointment for exactly four weeks at the same time and place. Everything went very smoothly.

[SIRE1]

My advice to everyone is Be Prepared before you log onto the Publix web site. Because once you finally get a chance to sign in, you are in a race to get an appointment booked before everyone else in Florida. And because this state has more seniors which are eligible for the vaccine now, you are in a race against a LOT of people. I took the advice from the TOTV post titled "A "Gambler’s Guide" to Booking a Vaccination with Publix" and used that as a guide to prepare "IF" I was able to get in. I also printed a list of stores from the Publix website and selected a store in Ocala that looked to be away from the big retirement communities with a LOT of senior that you are competing with (e.g. The Villages, Top of the World, and Del Webb). I thought a lot of people would select the close stores because it would be near to them. There are 2 Publix stores near Silver Springs which I considered and I chose Heather Island Plaza. Volusia county had a lot of vaccine appointments available when I started, but I was concerned that all of the people along the coast would be trying to get into one of those.

[retiredguy123]

I got my first shot at Publix in Deland on Monday and they gave me an appointment for exactly four weeks at the same time.

Did you not get the little card?
Yes, I got the card and an appointment in exactly 4 weeks at the same store, also near Deland.

[gpk111]

There is a separate thread, but I'm reposting here to try to help as many people as possible get on the Publix site. Next opportunity is on Friday, 1/29 at 6 AM. The site actually opened up a few minutes before 6 today.

A Gambler’s Guide to Booking a Vaccination with Publix
January 24, 2021 – Update January 27 below

This post is based on personal experience and those of others interested in helping people get vaccinated.

The website:
COVID-19 Vaccine in Florida | Publix Super Markets (https://www.publix.com/covid-vaccine/florida)

Current Notice on Website: “All available COVID-19 vaccine appointments have been claimed. There is tremendous demand for the vaccine and a limited supply, so check back on Wednesday, January 27 after 6:00 a.m. EST (5:00 a.m. CST) for your next opportunity.”

Big picture:
1. Be prepared to wait up to two hours if you get lucky enough to get to a sign-up page. On Wednesday 1/20, I was lucky enough to be let in at 6:45. The 24,400 spots were fully booked at about 7:45 with 250,000 applicants that day, according to Publix. The odds: 10:1. Many did not get to the sign-up page at all.

2. On Friday, 1/22, I was let into a sign-up page at 7:39. There were 48,900 sign up spots available, with more than 300,000 users. The odds improved to 6:1, but most users did not get to the sign up site again.

3. Scan the Publix locations. Decide how far you are willing to travel and possibly even select stores before you attempt to register. If you think about it during the sign up process, you will lose time. If you’re a data nerd, consider population per store and income per capita of the county.

All Stores with vaccines are listed here:
https://www.publix.com/covid-vaccine/assets/publix-pharmacy-covid-19-vaccine-fl-store-list.pdf

4. Given the difficulty of getting out of the queue and onto a sign up page, use multiple browsers. Be prepared to abandon all but one browser if you get to the sign up page and concentrate on filling out that form as quickly as possible.

Details:
1. Spinning the wheel: Sign onto the website a little before 6 and hit the refresh button frequently. THE INITIAL TIMING IS CRITICAL, since only a small number of people are let into the sign-up portal at a time. Here is an official twitter statement from Publix on that point:
“We are limiting the number of people in our reservation system to ensure our site remains stable. Our waiting page refreshes every minute while more people are let in to book their appointments.”
Translation: If you don’t get in initially, there will probably be a long wait if you get in at all.

2. Refreshing: Assuming you are not taken to a sign up page, Publix says not to refresh the page manually. Their twitter statement is “We do not recommend refreshing the page manually.” It is followed by the boilerplate above: “We are limiting the number of people in our reservation system to ensure our site remains stable. Our waiting page refreshes every minute while more people are let in to book their appointments.”

The implication is that the original queue is maintained, but some stories point to wild luck.

3. Counties: The list of counties on the main page will indicate if appointments are still available, but that’s an indicator only. The counties will never turn into live links. It’s frustrating, but unavoidable, to see the status go from “Appointments Available“ to “Fully Booked” while you’re in the queue.

4. Entry Notification: If and when the system allows you to register, you will be notified by a rectangular icon just BELOW the county list. DO NOT MAKE THE (COMMON) MISTAKE of waiting for an invitation on the county list or for a county to turn into an active link.

5. Personal Information: You are then asked for personal information. You should rush through this, since your spot is NOT CONFIRMED UNTIL YOU GET ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SIGN UP PROCESS. Since you may re-enter this section if your selected time slot isn’t available, auto-fill helps.

You are asked for the usual personal information: name, address, phone, birth date, and email address (where they send a confirmation). You are also asked if you if you are a “Publix Associate and have a Medicare number. Say “no” to save time, since you can present it at your appointment.

6. County: The county selection is next. Caveat: Once you pick a county, you are then asked to pick a store within that county, and a date and a time for that store. The selection of the county is the first part of a string. Be prepared to be taken back to this point if your selection is unavailable by the time you get to the end of the registration process. Think about ways to improve your odds. What is the least likely county, store, date and time others would choose? For example, we noticed that counties and stores in the panhandle tended to have greater odds.

7. Store: The store selection is next. Again, the closest is not necessarily the one most likely to have available spots.

8. Time and date: You will then be offered a date. Consider choosing a date farther out or one you think is least selected. Same for appointments times, which comes next. Remember you will ultimately compete against others within that same time slot.

9. Health questions: You are then asked 14 health questions. Here is the exact list to allow you to move through the list quickly. NOTE: They should not be all “NO” answers.

H1. Emergency Contact Name
H2. Emergency Contact Number
H3. Are you 18 years of age or older? - YES!
H4. Do you have a cold, fever, or acute illness?
H5. Do you have any allergies to medications, food, or any vaccine? If yes, please list.
H6. Are you allergic to chicken eggs or egg products?
H7. Are you allergic to Thimerosal (cleaning products or contact lens solution)?
H8. Have you ever had a serious reaction after receiving a vaccination?
H9. Have you ever been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome?
H10. Do you have a seizure, brain, or nerve problem?
H11. Are you the patient? If no, enter your name and relationship to the patient. - YES!
H12. Are you attending a clinic? If yes, please enter location.
H13. Would you like to be notified about other immunizations?
H14. Have you already received an initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?

10. Review and confirm: You then review and confirm the information you entered.

11. Consent form: Not done yet! You are then asked to acknowledge a consent form.

12. Not a Robot: You are then asked to prove you are not a robot. This may involve the usual stop lights and buses but is only asked once in case you have to repeat the process.

13. Submit! Only at this point does the system decide if the selected time is still available.

14. Confirmation page: If you made the cutoff, you are presented with a confirmation page which has a “print” option towards the top. Printing is recommended, since the emailed confirmation will only have a code on it for privacy reasons.

15. Time not available: If your time was not available, you are taken back to picking a county (step #6 above). Note that you will have to enter the medical information over again! SUGGESTION: Think about the strategy for retries (county, store, date, time) to make repeated selections as efficient as possible.

16. Additional people: If you do get a confirmation, you have the opportunity to “Book another appointment” at the bottom of the appointment confirmation page.
You now start at step 5 (see above) by entering the second individual’s personal information. You do not have to wait in the queue again.

XXXXXXXXXXX

January 27 Update
I plan to continue to try to help people sign up. Feel free to PM me for specific thoughts or questions.

I was able to sign more people up today (Wedn 1/27). The system opened shortly before 6 AM and all counties were “fully booked” by 7:28. St John's started out with about 2,000 doses and was "fully booked" at 7:12. Volusia County, the next best County to the south, started with about 3,200 doses and was "fully booked" by 7:05.

Several new observations that may be helpful to those still trying to book (next window is Friday, 1/29):

1. Publix made 2 very helpful modifications to the website: They added a counter to the top of the page (see attached) so you know the system is automatically refreshing and when. It refreshes every minute. They also added the number of appointments left in each county. Both are helpful improvements.

You also know that you are eligible to sign up (you have left the queue) when you don't see the counter any more. At that time, scroll down to the bottom and click the bold "BOOK AN APPOINTMENT" box (see attached).

2. I used 3 browsers on two devices. I got in on one device at 6:15 and was able to sign up a number of people. I never got in on the other two browsers.

3. After booking the first person, I was shown a red circle with a line through it at the "SUBMIT" button at the very end. No explanation. Tried different times and different pharmacies without success.

I then closed that browser down completely and just for kicks reopened it. After a minute, it allowed me to sign on, even though the other two browsers on the other device were still queued. I heard similar mysteries from others.

Morals:
a. Try to use different browsers on different devices. It seems the entry to the sign up portal is random at this time.

b. If you should ever get that red circle at the end of the application to "Submit," just reload the page and (ouch) start over.


For gamblers:
If you see plenty of spots available and the system is not letting you sign up, consider starting over. That's against Publix advice, but you may have little to lose by getting into a different (and new) queue.


Obviously, it's best to hedge your bets with multiple devices.

[gpk111]

I signed on this morning and was lucky enough to get in with about 50 Marion County immunizations remaining. I filled out the forms and the last page displayed the remaining open appointments. I chose a time and date and the message said I had completed the process. Then a screen came up with my information and a red notice that there was one item in error. It said the time requested was taken. It then returned me to the initial application page and locked me out. Who writes these programs?

Please see the comments I posted earlier regarding that dreaded red circle when you submit! Was that during your first attempt? or were you trying to register the second person?

[billethkid]

We have been sitting tight since March of 2020 and see no need to participate in the race to get a shot during the lack of supply period....hence we will wait until adequate vaccine is available....
more like March/April.

[gpk111]

We have been sitting tight since March of 2020 and see no need to participate in the race to get a shot during the lack of supply period....hence we will wait until adequate vaccine is available....
more like March/April.

Seems to be four kinds of people these days:
- Those "dying" to get a shot and don't mind joining the feeding frenzy
- Those who would like a shot, but want to wait for the feeding frenzy to settle down
- Those who are skeptical - fence sitters
- Anti-vaxxers

Interesting conversations sometimes !!

[asianthree]

Seems to be four kinds of people these days:
- Those "dying" to get a shot and don't mind joining the feeding frenzy
- Those who would like a shot, but want to wait for the feeding frenzy to settle down
- Those who are skeptical - fence sitters
- Anti-vaxxers

Interesting conversations sometimes !!

You didn’t list those who are in Chemo, or other treatment, and their Physicians are saying NO.
Those who are pregnant
And the many who’s physician, saying NO because of severe reaction.

They don’t belong in the anti group, or maybe you think the physicians are in the secret anti group.

[gpk111]

You didn’t list those who are in Chemo, or other treatment, and their Physicians are saying NO.
Those who are pregnant
And the many who’s physician, saying NO because of severe reaction.

They don’t belong in the anti group, or maybe you think the physicians are in the secret anti group.

Fair point: The "forbidden" group. I guess within those
, some are anti-vaxxers who found an excuse!?

[asianthree]

Fair point: The "forbidden" group. I guess within those
, some are anti-vaxxers who found an excuse!?

Interesting you think pregnant, cancer, anaphylactic is an excuse. I’m sure pregnant would not work for you, ( does it really matter that no study’s have been done on the unborn fetus) but cancer, and death from a reaction, I wouldn’t wish on anyone so they couldn’t get the vaccine.

Those who think those are excuses, than the person could care less the outcome of the life that may change.

But on an up note, those who are told to wait, that’s one more vaccine for those chasing it, or if those who are told to wait, and take it anyway it could be just a loss of life added to the list. So win-win in your anti vaccine thoughts

[gpk111]

No intent to offend anyone. Just observing....

[TNLAKEPANDA]

A smart company and web designer would allow you to lock an appointment time/date followed by your name and other information!
Why doesn’t anyone setting up websites understand this?

[retiredguy123]

A smart company and web designer would allow you to lock an appointment time/date followed by your name and other information!
Why doesn’t anyone setting up websites understand this?
Because they probably can't afford smart web designers when the product availability is unknown, it changes every day, and there doesn't appear to be a profit motive. If they could sell the vaccine, it would be handled a lot differently.

[Regor]

After waiting on Publix's web site for over an hour with 4 computers and 2 cells, my sister called the Lake County number list on todays paper, and got 2 appointments for tomorrow at the Lake Square Mall.

[retiredguy123]

After waiting on Publix's web site for over an hour with 4 computers and 2 cells, my sister called the Lake County number list on todays paper, and got 2 appointments for tomorrow at the Lake Square Mall.
The Lake County system doesn't appear to be any better than the Publix system. Getting through on the phone is virtually impossible.

[coffeebean]

After waiting on Publix's web site for over an hour with 4 computers and 2 cells, my sister called the Lake County number list on todays paper, and got 2 appointments for tomorrow at the Lake Square Mall.
Which vaccine is Lake County using?

[retiredguy123]

Which vaccine is Lake County using?
Pfizer

[retiredguy123]

Apparently, none of these vaccine providers care about people's time or respect a basic first come first served courtesy. They are fine with people waiting on a website for hours or calling a number that is always busy, or accepting a call back number, and then never calling back. But, if you happen to contact them at a lucky time, you will get an appointment. I was lucky to get an appointment at a Publix two weeks ago by just checking the website in the middle of the day. But, I have tried to help others get an appointment and have had some luck, but I have found out that none of the providers are treating people fairly. It's disgraceful.

[Bunny1]

We logged in Publix at 6:00 am with 2 computers, 2 cell phones. Got appt screen but no luck finding any spots. Called the Eventbrite number at 9:00 am and after 162 attempts with phone was able to make 2 apts for tomorrow at Volusia County Fair Grounds.

[Byte1]

Which vaccine is Lake County using?

Apparently, it doesn't matter. CDC is saying you can use one and then the other for the booster. And they are saying the second one can come up to 6 wks after the first. Makes one wonder whether they even have an idea of what this supposed vaccine is all about. I am not questioning the science of it, just their ability to understand their test results/figures. Some say it works for all versions of COVID and some say it will only work for less than a year and have to be updated. I am glad that they were able to release it so expeditiously, but quick does not have to be sloppy, does it? There is a lot of unknowns, but that does not mean that one should discount the validity of the serum(?) if you can call it that. Since there has been very, very few side effects and supposedly only one or two deaths related to the vaccination, at least we know that it is "harmless" so far. TBD (to be determined). Hope that did not sound negative. As far as I am concerned, they can give out Vit B12 shots and tell us we are good to go so we can remove our masks.

[asianthree]

Does anyone wonder if they will get a second dose, at their date, or days, maybe weeks after.

[Jayhawk]

After waiting on Publix's web site for over an hour with 4 computers and 2 cells, my sister called the Lake County number list on todays paper, and got 2 appointments for tomorrow at the Lake Square Mall.

Maybe if each household only used ONE device instead of multiples at one time, the system wouldn't be as overworked as it is. Just a thought.

[Byte1]

Apparently, none of these vaccine providers care about people's time or respect a basic first come first served courtesy. They are fine with people waiting on a website for hours or calling a number that is always busy, or accepting a call back number, and then never calling back. But, if you happen to contact them at a lucky time, you will get an appointment. I was lucky to get an appointment at a Publix two weeks ago by just checking the website in the middle of the day. But, I have tried to help others get an appointment and have had some luck, but I have found out that none of the providers are treating people fairly. It's disgraceful.

I'm sure they would be interested in your ideas on how they could improve distribution, fairly. If they had an unlimited supply, they would not have to segregate distribution according to the greater need. If they had an unlimited supply, then you could go just about anywhere and pick it up; CVS, Walgreens, your personal doctor, Publix, etc. We just have to be patient. We have lasted a year without infection, so I can wait my turn. I am trying to get my wife an appointment, but I am not going to travel to Miami or Georgia to get it a day or week before my neighbors.

[Byte1]

Maybe if each household only used ONE device instead of multiples at one time, the system wouldn't be as overworked as it is. Just a thought.

Haven't seen this much of desperation since Black Friday a couple years ago. :popcorn:

[gpk111]

Link that describes the Publix vaccine sign up Queuing problem

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/medical-health-discussion-94/publix-covid-vaccination-website-analysis-queuing-suggestions-315614/#post1893674

[gpk111]

Maybe if each household only used ONE device instead of multiples at one time, the system wouldn't be as overworked as it is. Just a thought.

Very valid point.

It's like "Who will drop their gun first?"

:faint:

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I went on last Friday morning at about 6:30 and waited. At about 7:15 the site opened. There were no appointments available at the local Publix there were two in Ocala. I picked one and looked for direction. The I selected the other to see which was closer. By the time I got back to the first one it had been taken. I went to the second one and that had been taken. I took an appointment in Deland for the following Friday. It was about an hours drive which was no big deal.

I went on Friday and got my shot. The operation at Publix was very efficient. They gave me a card showing when I had the shot and which is is and I have an appointment exactly four weeks from last Monday.

I guess that it's pretty much luck of the draw. I don't know how else they could do it. It seems that the only other option would be to have people stand in line with no appointment. But that would have people camping out over night like in front of Best Buy on Thanksgiving.

Everyone just has to be patient and keep trying. As of last Monday, 1.56 million people in Florida have been vaccinated. That almost half of the over 65 population. As time goes on fewer people will be trying to get their first dose.

As an added bonus there is a great New England Seafood place about 20 minutes from where I went to in Deland. So I stopped and rewarded myself with a New England Seafood dinner. Being from Boston it was like a little piece of home in Florida.

[coffeebean]

Does anyone wonder if they will get a second dose, at their date, or days, maybe weeks after.

Yes, I wonder.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Does anyone wonder if they will get a second dose, at their date, or days, maybe weeks after.

I've met several people that have gotten their second dose right on time. Why would you think that you wouldn't?

[coffeebean]

I've met several people that have gotten their second dose right on time. Why would you think that you wouldn't?

For one.....a couple of weeks ago, the headline was "40,000 overdue for their second vaccine shot". That is why.

[elevatorman]

The tee time system works. You put in a request many places and times and later you get a time and place. Someone should sell the program to Publix.

[Rbm77]

The Publix system is getting worse, not better. I already got my first shot, But I have been trying to schedule an appointment for others.

You can register your phone number with the new Lake County system by calling 866-201-6909. They say that they will call you to make an appointment on the phone. The vaccine location is the Lake Square Mall in Leesburg.

The phone number 866-201-6909 is the State of Florida Covid 19 Scheduling Support Line. They asked for 5 digit zip code of your home address. This will allow the system to locate the nearest site for you. They will call when an appointment is available. Wonder how long that will be!

[billethkid]

Maybe if each household only used ONE device instead of multiples at one time, the system wouldn't be as overworked as it is. Just a thought.

Good luck.
We will put it on the list along with
stop signs
speed limits
wearing a mask
:pray:

[Regor]

Everyone just has to be patient and keep trying. As of last Monday, 1.56 million people in Florida have been vaccinated. That almost half of the over 65 population. As time goes on fewer people will be trying to get their first dose.



With 4.5 million over 65 in Florida, That's only one third, not over one half.

[wsachs]

Last Friday I went online at 6 am and when it finally allowed me to choose a county, I chose Flagler. I figured far enough away that most Villagers wouldn't be interested in driving to. I was right, got in and signed up and also my wife. About 80 miles to Palm Coast. Easy drive, nice scenery. The Publix people were awesome and we go back in Feb to get 2nd.

[gregcharlesnelson@gmail]

we're driving all the way to 30A tomorrow..4-5 hour drive to get to a Publix...ugh!

[toeser]

I signed on this morning and was lucky enough to get in with about 50 Marion County immunizations remaining. I filled out the forms and the last page displayed the remaining open appointments. I chose a time and date and the message said I had completed the process. Then a screen came up with my information and a red notice that there was one item in error. It said the time requested was taken. It then returned me to the initial application page and locked me out. Who writes these programs?

As someone who has designed quick capture input programs, I will attest the design is terrible. If anyone from Publix is reading this, following is how the process should work once someone gets through the queue and is let in.

Pick a county that's available
Pick a location that's available
Pick a timeslot that's available

Assuming you clicked first, that timeslot is now yours and you have five minutes to input the required personal information. If you do not meet the requirements or you do not finish within five minutes, that timeslot is returned to be available for others.

This would be light-years faster than the input system they have designed.

[jimjamuser]

I was able to get in this morning and was able to get an appointment for my wife and I. I had looked at the TOTV post titled "A "Gambler’s Guide" :) to Booking a Vaccination with Publix" and used that as a guide to prepare "IF" I was able to get in. Had also printed a list of stores from the Publix website and selected a store in Ocala that looked to be a little way from any of the big retirement communities (e.g. The Villages, Top of the World, and Del Webb) where I thought a lot of people would select because it would be close to them.

Logged onto the Publix web site with a laptop, and 2 tablets about 5:55 am. Watched the screen refresh every minute until got the sign in link on one of the tablets. Nice thing is that once you go through the process and book an appointment, it allows you to book another one for your spouse right away. Was done around 6:40 am. Almost better than winning that big lottery, but that would have been nice too!!! Good Luck to everyone who couldn't get an appointment today.
Speaking of lotteries, did anyone ever think that a system of LUCK would eliminate all this confusion. This is a system mindless disorder.

[jimjamuser]

We have been sitting tight since March of 2020 and see no need to participate in the race to get a shot during the lack of supply period....hence we will wait until adequate vaccine is available....
more like March/April.
I am amazed at post #13. It seems like people are doing enough WORK and utilizing math and computer science to the extent of researching for a cure for cancer - just to get an appointment for a vaccine shot. It seems to me that ALL that complexity is what we have paid taxes for all of our lives to have government DO for US! To me, the disappointment does not lie with Publix. It lies with government!

[gpk111]

I am amazed at post #13. It seems like people are doing enough WORK and utilizing math and computer science to the extent of researching for a cure for cancer - just to get an appointment for a vaccine shot. It seems to me that ALL that complexity is what we have paid taxes for all of our lives to have government DO for US! To me, the disappointment does not lie with Publix. It lies with government!

Jimjam,
I authored post #13! Thanks for elevating this to an ethereal 40,000 foot level! I could not agree more!!!

I chose to ignore the complaints and how wrong this all is and focused on helping those who were looking for help. I used what's available. Just another approach!

Thanks again for adding perspective to my day.

Gerry

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

I just received my shot at Gainesville Va it was an appointment for 1:-15 for over 75 but there is a sign that says no appointment needed they took me right away an hour before appointment , I guess they don’t have to many over 75 veterans who aren’t in nursing homes lol

[gpk111]

As someone who has designed quick capture input programs, I will attest the design is terrible. If anyone from Publix is reading this, following is how the process should work once someone gets through the queue and is let in.

Pick a county that's available
Pick a location that's available
Pick a timeslot that's available

Assuming you clicked first, that timeslot is now yours and you have five minutes to input the required personal information. If you do not meet the requirements or you do not finish within five minutes, that timeslot is returned to be available for others.

This would be light-years faster than the input system they have designed.

Agreed. Similar to the "Eventbrite" system. Some counties are using that, but has its own flaws and would not be able to handle the county and store delineation.

[kcksmom]

Just spent an hour on this website trying t get a nearby appt. It took 40 minutes to let me on the site to fill out an application--then when I was ready to confirm they said someone had beat me to it. Only Deland had times available. Even if I could have got one then I would have then had to try to find a time for my wife. This whole thing is a terrible bad joke!

45 minutes into the wait, I received request to register in Marion County. As with you, by the time I was ready to confirm, all available doses were gone. Missed out again. Will try tomorrow.

[rphil11ort]

thanks for that number, not afraid enough of this thing to spend hours and hours trying to sign up. Called the number and am in the Q at least waiting for the call back and only took 5 minutes

[terrild53]

We’ve been thinking the same thing!!

[jimjamuser]

Jimjam,
I authored post #13! Thanks for elevating this to an ethereal 40,000 foot level! I could not agree more!!!

I chose to ignore the complaints and how wrong this all is and focused on helping those who were looking for help. I used what's available. Just another approach!

Thanks again for adding perspective to my day.

Gerry
Well, that IS something positive to do, it helps society to stay healthy. My particular brain could NOT hold all the computer science and details to do that. But, having done that, it is great to have a willingness to teach others the same skill. More power to you. I am completely amazed and impressed.

[cj1040]

What store in ocala did you select?

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

As someone who has designed quick capture input programs, I will attest the design is terrible. If anyone from Publix is reading this, following is how the process should work once someone gets through the queue and is let in.

Pick a county that's available
Pick a location that's available
Pick a timeslot that's available

Assuming you clicked first, that timeslot is now yours and you have five minutes to input the required personal information. If you do not meet the requirements or you do not finish within five minutes, that timeslot is returned to be available for others.

This would be light-years faster than the input system they have designed.

The problem with that is that The Villages is spread across three counties. Depending on where you live in The Villages and where the vaccine is being administered you might want to go to a different county. Also some people might be willing to travel to other counties. I'd prefer to be able to see all of my options at once.

My experience was that I looked around the different sites to try to select the one that was closest. When I decided on one, it was full. My second selection was also full so I ended up with my third pick which was an hour's drive. No big deal but if you look at only one county at a time and that county is full, by the time that you get back to it it may be full.

What would be helpful would be to have the full addresses of the sites instead of just the county and town.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

We have been sitting tight since March of 2020 and see no need to participate in the race to get a shot during the lack of supply period....hence we will wait until adequate vaccine is available....
more like March/April.

By then many more people will be vaccinated so the demand will be a lot lower. As of now, almost half of all Florida residents over the age of 65 have been vaccinated. We should begin to the the wait time go down soon.

[Viperguy]

Another wasted hour. Two computers, no hits

[Byte1]

I had three browsers open for the Publix site and watched as each vacancy filled up, never getting a link register for the shot. I started watching from 3:30am on but the only thing I got was refreshed sites every minute after 6am. Each time it refreshed, I scrolled down to the bottom to search for a link or box to open for registering our information.
Guess I will have to search other avenues to schedule an appointment for my wife. She's about ready to say "to heck with it" and leave the house, regardless of the threat. Can't really blame her.
Thanks for the information on the publix site. At least we know that some folks are getting their vaccinations. Guess every little bit helps in the long haul.

[AzAuSenior]

For step 4 of the A Gambler’s Guide to Booking a Vaccination with Publix , the rectangle prompt to look for after the list of counties to book an appointment is shown here. Now you know what to look for when successfully booking an appointment.

[Byte1]

For step 4 of the A Gambler’s Guide to Booking a Vaccination with Publix , the rectangle prompt to look for after the list of counties to book an appointment is shown here. Now you know what to look for when successfully booking an appointment.

Interesting. I scrolled down EVERY time it refreshed on all three browsers and I never had the box you show. Seems like being on there at 3:30am would have been early enough to put me pretty far up in line, considering they had thousands of spots. Even Marion county had over 1700 spots and they disappeared pretty fast. I was willing to take anything that was within a couple hours of driving, one way. Didn't even get the chance to choose one.
Like I said before, someone got the vaccination spots so at least we know that there will be less folks vulnerable to the virus. Hopefully, we can get ours before they open it for the younger age groups. We have family coming down in March that have all recently recovered from their virus infection. It only lasted a few days with them, but they are young.
Good luck to those that are wanting to get they chance at being vaccinated so that they can return to some semblance of normality. The hunt continues.........

And thanks to those that are passing on valuable information. :thumbup:

[retiredguy123]

Interesting. I scrolled down EVERY time it refreshed on all three browsers and I never had the box you show. Seems like being on there at 3:30am would have been early enough to put me pretty far up in line, considering they had thousands of spots. Even Marion county had over 1700 spots and they disappeared pretty fast. I was willing to take anything that was within a couple hours of driving, one way. Didn't even get the chance to choose one.
Like I said before, someone got the vaccination spots so at least we know that there will be less folks vulnerable to the virus. Hopefully, we can get ours before they open it for the younger age groups. We have family coming down in March that have all recently recovered from their virus infection. It only lasted a few days with them, but they are young.
Good luck to those that are wanting to get they chance at being vaccinated so that they can return to some semblance of normality. The hunt continues.........

And thanks to those that are passing on valuable information. :thumbup:
The site goes "live" at 6 am, so being on the site at 3:30 or anytime prior to 6 am doesn't help you. Also, the site doesn't seem to establish a first come first served "line". It seems to operate more like a lottery where you just need to be lucky enough to be selected from the site when a space opens up. Also, the "book an appointment" box doesn't show up until you win the lottery and are instructed to provide personal information. These are just my observations.

[capecoralbill]

I had three browsers open for the Publix site and watched as each vacancy filled up, never getting a link register for the shot.

Would it make a difference if you clicked the refresh button at the top of the page, rather than wait the 60 seconds for it to do it automatically? Thanks

[Byte1]

Would it make a difference it you clicked the refresh button at the top of the page, rather than wait the 60 second for it to do it automatically? Thanks

I had the idea also, and did that with one of the browsers, clicking and scrolling down the page until one of the others refreshed and then back again. I tried that with just one to see if that might make a difference. It didn't.
Maybe next time, I will try exiting and reopening the site and see if that makes a difference. I have also hedged my bet by registering at several country health Dept sites that allow you to register for the vaccination when they have it available.
Like I said before, this is to get my wife vaccinated as I am sure I will get mine at the VA when they have sufficient supplies. Right now they are giving the shots to those Vets over 75. Not there yet, but at this rate, by the time I reach the front of the line, I will qualify for "old" enough.....:)

[retiredguy123]

Would it make a difference if you clicked the refresh button at the top of the page, rather than wait the 60 seconds for it to do it automatically? Thanks
I originally thought that doing manual refreshes may hurt you by moving you to the back of the line. But, now, I don't believe there is a first come first served line. It is just random luck. I agree with the previous poster that manual refreshes probably don't help.

[JoMar]

Publix isn't your only option.....patientportalfl.com, myvaccine.fl.com, are two and you can pre-register your information on both. We used patientportalfl.com this morning and were successful for Orlando. Depends on how far you are willing to travel, my advice is to find alternative provider websites including County sites.

[gpk111]

This post discusses the intricacies of getting from the queue to the sign-in process. A related post (“A Gambler’s Guide to Winning a Publix Vaccine Appointment") navigates you through the sign-up process to raise your odds of getting an appointment.

Once you’re in the queue, you can watch a counter while the page refreshes every minute. You can also see the number of appointments left available in each county.
The official Publix statement is to simply wait at this point: “We do not recommend refreshing the page manually. We are limiting the number of people in our reservation system to ensure our site remains stable. Our waiting page refreshes every minute while more people are let in to book their appointments.” The implication is that applicants are let in on a first come, first served basis.

However, analysis shows that the queuing system does not work as expected. The transfer from the queue to the sign-up system is often not based on timing (nor device type, carrier, or speed). The system is also opaque in that it does not display your place in line.

Here are 6 suggestions below for your consideration.

Caveat: This is pure speculation based on discussions with a number of tech-savvy people and other users, but none of the comments are based on information from any of the Publix web designers or other internal contacts. Ultimately, none of these things may make any difference. The current implementation of the Publix queuing system may just be broken and randomly transfers users to the reservation system.

1. Use multiple browsers if possible. Three or four are probably optimum. If one browser is granted entry into the reservations system, be prepared to abandon the remaining ones immediately, since the active one will require all your attention. Publix says it’s sufficient to have one browser.

2. Confirm each browser is the latest version. Publix also emphasizes this. Also try to use different browsers (Firefox, Edge, Chrome, etc)

3. Sign in early and wait. It looks like the system refreshes the open browsers automatically immediately after launching. There may not be a need to manually refresh at the beginning and try to time the launch. Suggestion: watch the screen to see if the counter started by itself. If it did, do nothing. If you see the screen change (implying that the sign up window has been opened) and the counter has not started, then refresh manually. On 1/29, the window was open at 5:58 AM, so theoretically, whatever browser was activated would have been toward the top of the queue.

4. Watch the counters and the remaining sign up slots for the counties of interest. As long as the counters are running, do not manually refresh. In theory, you would go to the end of the line. If the available slots start to dwindle, you may want to consider a “Hail Mary” pass on one of the browsers. See below.

5. The sign up window should last at least an hour, so there is ample time to make decisions while you’re watching the availability by county. Depending on your gambling instincts, you can “let the clock run out” by doing nothing (the official Publix recommendation) or you can choose to manually refresh anytime before the spots in your selected county are gone. Trying it both ways has proven to be inconclusive. Here is some data to keep in mind, based on observations from sampled counties on both the 1/27 and 1/29 enrollment windows.
o There are about 150 doses allotted per store
o The number of stores per resident over 65 varies by county
o The depletion curves for the two days are remarkably similar.
o It takes about 10 minutes before there are any decreases.
o About 50% of appointment slots are gone in about 30 minutes
o 75% are gone within 45 minutes
o Almost all are gone within about 70 minutes
o Stores in the panhandle get the least amount of bookings and linger to about 80 minutes, but they are still not accessible to those in the queue.

6. If you are admitted to the reservation system, the counter will stop and the text changes. If that happens, make sure you immediately drop down below the county list (you will not be able to select a county on that page) and select “BOOK AN APPOINTMENT.” You do not have to drop down to check for the appearance of that "BOOK AN APPOINTMENT " box. Once you’re “in,” you can book up to four appointments. Note that if a red circle should show up in the “SUBMIT” button (happens frequently after the second or third appointment), you can not fix it by going back to prior screens and changing a selection (store, date, time). Abandon or reboot that browser.

~~~~~

[gpk111]

Publix isn't your only option.....patientportalfl.com, myvaccine.fl.com, are two and you can pre-register your information on both. We used patientportalfl.com this morning and were successful for Orlando. Depends on how far you are willing to travel, my advice is to find alternative provider websites including County sites.

Yes. Also see post # 65 for alternatives.

If you've been Mayo patient, they are also vaccinating, but it's invitation only based on their own priory criteria.

In addition, check out the State's new "preregistration system" announced on 1/29 here: Just a moment... (https://myvaccine.fl.gov/)

Also, consider the Orange County system . Very labor intensive, but excellent odds if you're willing to spend the time. You preregister with personal information, then register for notifications, then sign on with password from the pre-registration and keep looping about 100 times until you get a hit. Works (almost) every time ! :)

[gpk111]

For step 4 of the A Gambler’s Guide to Booking a Vaccination with Publix , the rectangle prompt to look for after the list of counties to book an appointment is shown here. Now you know what to look for when successfully booking an appointment.

Senior, Thanks for capturing this all too rare sight. Most people will fly by it rather than taking the valuable few seconds to take a screen shot! :)

[gpk111]

"Today 08:05 AM
Ricky Dale
When the site go's active at 6AM there will be a 60 second count down indicator (in red) towards the top of the page. That indicator will refresh every 60 seconds. Don't worried about the rest of the page/pages while that counter is active. If you are chosen that counter will disappear. At that point scroll down the page until you see a box that says make appointment. Click on that box. Once you are asked to pick a county and store, do not choose the first store or time in the county you want, you and a few dozen others may have clicked on the same store and time. You are then in a race to see who finishes the information first. (human nature is to pick the first store and time you see). Go into the county a few stores down and an hour or so in, you will be less likely to get bounced out too choose another store.
I have made four appointments in the last three sessions. Good luck."


Quoting Ricky here from the "other" Publix site in an attempt to direct the interesting discussion to one place.


Ricky: You make a great point. You are NOT competing with 300,000 people (the number that according to Publix, use the site), but you are in a time race for only that one time slot, after having chosen the county and store and date. So the fundamental principle is that for each of those choices, you pick the one you think is LEAST LIKELY to be chosen by others.

All that is discussed in my note #13. Of course the problem now is that most can't even get into the reservation system. That's discussed in my note #68 above.

[gpk111]

Copying another note from the other Publix thread to bring it together.

"The panhandle counties have already vaccinated 30% to almost 50% of their residents over age 65. Since there are a smaller percentage of locals needing their first shot those appointments probably are available longer on the app.

In Sumter, Lake County, Marion, and all those counties to the west we are at 20% or less of seniors already having their first shot. With close to 80% competing for appointments it is going tough.

South of us only Orange and Palm Beach counties are at 30%, and I’m not sure Publix is doing the vaccines there.[/QUOTE]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All the "shot in the arm" statistics are here by county. The site is updated daily.
http://ww11.doh.state.fl.us/comm/_partners/covid19_report_archive/vaccine-county/vaccine_county_report_latest.pdf

You have to be careful to select the shots given to those over 65, since a lot of the total administered early have been given to health care workers, who tend to be much younger. You can then compare that to the total proportion of over 65's in that county. Here:
Florida Population 65 years and over, percent by County (https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/united-states/quick-facts/florida/percent-of-population-65-and-over#table)

Then multiply that proportion by the total population in that county here (estimated 2020 data):
Population of Counties in Florida (2021) (https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-counties/states/fl)

Not sure if the panhandle demand difference is due to saturation of shots, as you surmise, or inconvenient location or availability per population. I suspect it has to do with location, since surrounding states are not eligible to play the Florida lottery.

[charmed59]

Quoting Ricky here from the "other" Publix site in an attempt to direct the interesting discussion to one place.

Ricky: You make a great point. You are NOT competing with 300,000 people (the number that according to Publix, use the site), but you are in a time race for only that one time slot, after having chosen the county and store and date. So the fundamental principle is that for each of those choices, you pick the one you think is LEAST LIKELY to be chosen by others.
.

As I mentioned on the other thread, the panhandle has vaccinated 30% to almost 50% of their Seniors. Leon county is the winner with 49% having received their first shot. So there are less locals vying for slots up there. There are your “LEAST LIKELY to be chosen by others” counties.

Counties west and south of us are in the same boat we are, with close to 80% of the seniors still looking for their first vaccine. You might have a decent chance in those counties around Jacksonville.

[gpk111]

As I mentioned on the other thread, the panhandle has vaccinated 30% to almost 50% of their Seniors. Leon county is the winner with 49% having received their first shot. So there are less locals vying for slots up there. There are your “LEAST LIKELY to be chosen by others” counties.

Counties west and south of us are in the same boat we are, with close to 80% of the seniors still looking for their first vaccine. You might have a decent chance in those counties around Jacksonville.

Counties covered in the panhandle (stores in parens): Escambia (6), Okaloosa (7), Waldron (3), and Bay (5). There is a big void in Publix coverage from there to Marion (12). 2 counties south from Marion are Citrus (4) and Hernando (7). To the east you have St Johns (14), Flagler (4) and Volusia (25).

[PugMom]

I am amazed at post #13. It seems like people are doing enough WORK and utilizing math and computer science to the extent of researching for a cure for cancer - just to get an appointment for a vaccine shot. It seems to me that ALL that complexity is what we have paid taxes for all of our lives to have government DO for US! To me, the disappointment does not lie with Publix. It lies with government!

no disrespect, friend, but relying on the gov to get it right is a joke :icon_wink:

[Madelaine Amee]

I'd like to thank everyone who tried to make Publix site understandable and useable.

However, what a stupid miss to make of something that could have been so simple. Surely all one needs is a list of counties, a phone number and website for each county and allow everyone to either leave their information on a phone or to leave their information on the website.

I am probably being too simplistic, but the website made for Publix must have been compiled by an evil genius bent on annoying as many people s they could.

[retiredguy123]

I'd like to thank everyone who tried to make Publix site understandable and useable.

However, what a stupid miss to make of something that could have been so simple. Surely all one needs is a list of counties, a phone number and website for each county and allow everyone to either leave their information on a phone or to leave their information on the website.

I am probably being too simplistic, but the website made for Publix must have been compiled by an evil genius bent on annoying as many people s they could.
I agree that the system they are using is very bad. But, I think the reason they use it is because it is totally automated and requires no work by Publix employees. If people left information on a phone message or a website, someone would need to spend time sorting through the information, and notify people of their appointments, which would probably result in a lot of no shows and people gaming the system. There are literally thousands of people trying to make appointments, but very few appointments available.

[Madelaine Amee]

I agree that the system they are using is very bad. But, I think the reason they use it is because it is totally automated and requires no work by Publix employees. If people left information on a phone message or a website, someone would need to spend time sorting through the information, and notify people of their appointments, which would probably result in a lot of no shows and people gaming the system. There are literally thousands of people trying to make appointments, but very few appointments available.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you, but there has to be a better way. What becomes of the people who are literally not able to use a computer, who are sight-impaired ,and are handicapped in other ways.

[Viperguy]

All they needed to do about six months ago was to hire an IT guy that could create a useable site. Consider Amazon.....search for anything, buy it in seconds, have an email immediately, it is shipped and on your door step the next day or two. Go into their site and find everything you have purchased over time. How hard would it be to sign up by birthday and have your name (birthday) stored until the vaccine is available? If the state was to put all its efforts into Publix dispersing this vaccine, why didn't they hire the right people. Oh, I know, it's government.......(That is not a political statement). It is about public vs private.....Profit motive and competition. JMHO

[JoMar]

All they needed to do about six months ago was to hire an IT guy that could create a useable site. Consider Amazon.....search for anything, buy it in seconds, have an email immediately, it is shipped and on your door step the next day or two. Go into their site and find everything you have purchased over time. How hard would it be to sign up by birthday and have your name (birthday) stored until the vaccine is available? If the state was to put all its efforts into Publix dispersing this vaccine, why didn't they hire the right people. Oh, I know, it's government.......(That is not a political statement). It is about public vs private.....Profit motive and competition. JMHO

Not a government site, it is a private site motivated by profit. The Governor's press conference today indicated that they will be expanding the doses available to Publix and Publix will hopefully be expanding the number of stores that will open. And remember, Publix is not the only site or place to get the vaccine.

[gpk111]

Feb 01, 2021

The Latest

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis updated residents Monday on the state’s effort to vaccinate every senior in Florida. DeSantis said nearly 30% of Florida seniors have received their first vaccine shot, amounting to about 1.25 million individuals. He said the state will be setting aside 1,500 doses this week for seniors who are homebound. “Not everyone is in a position and not everyone has the same level of support … We’re trying to prevent people from falling through the cracks,” the governor said. DeSantis said the federal government has increased Florida’s vaccine supply by 40,000 for the coming weeks, allowing them more flexibility when it comes to drive-through vaccination sites in senior living communities like The Villages.