Does anyone know how the Publix vaccination site works?
 

Anyone with technical experience know how the Publix vaccination or other sites work?

There must be thousands of people logging in a the same time. How does the site recognize who is first?

Does opening the site 5 minutes early give you an advantage?

Is your home internet speed help/hinder?

Is there any advantage having my laptop and phone logging into the site at the same time?

Any other information on how these sites work would be helpful.

I guess these are questions a non technical person would have.

If you log on at an opportune time, the site puts you into a queue before allowing you to schedule an appointment. Hopefully, Publix manages the queue using a first come first served basis, but that would only be known to whoever designed the queue. Logging in early will not help unless the server is ready to accept people into the queue. When you log in, it could be helpful to refresh the site frequently until you are actually accepted into the queue. Then, the server will automatically refresh itself. I think the more devices you have logged in, the better chance you have to get early access into the queue. Your internet speed will have very little to do with your success as long as you are able to log into the site.

After going to the Publix webpage, it was doing an automatic refresh every minute. I believe doing manual refreshes every second or so makes more sense. It appears to be just blind luck whether you got a "slot" to be asked to schedule an appointment. I tried for an hour but was not able to be accepted to schedule an appointment. It took about an hour for all appointments to be filled.

That was my experience. I was wondering if a different browser might work better. I generally use Chrome, but may switch next time. I think it's easier to win the Mega Millions or Powerball than get an appointment.:)

I don't think a different browser will make any difference.

Try Chrome
 

I and a couple of other friends had real problems with Safari. I had both a Safari and a Chrome window opened...Safari (started that first) never went beyond the queue. Chrome, however, took me to an appointment after about 10 minutes.

I don't doubt what you said. I had success with an Android phone using the Samsung browser, and had no success using a desktop computer with the Windows 10 Microsoft Edge browser. But, logically, going from the queue to making an appointment has everything to do with what the remote Publix server does and very little or nothing to do with the type of browser you are using. That is, assuming your device was connected to the Publix server and communicating with it.

Are you sure that manually refreshing the browser after being added to the queue cannot cause the remote server to change your position in the queue?

No, I am not sure of anything. However, the webpage was doing an automatic refresh every minute. It isn't clear that the automatic refreshes were any different than the manual refreshes. It also isn't clear that there was a queue. On one system, the page was being automatically refreshed. On another system, I was refreshing manually. Same result.

Just a word of caution re refreshing...I got locked out of the Lake County scheduling system on both my laptop (with Chrome) and phone (with Safari) and got a message that said I refreshed too much at 11 a.m. Did not get an appointment.

I logged in off my laptop via Firefox. Never got in. My wife logged in after me via her iPad and Safai. She got, put in personal info, got to second page but the Publix program would not let her choose county. Eventually, it was all over.

For those who were successful at making a Publix appointment this morning, may I be super nosy and inquire if you are a full time resident or part time? I was wondering if somehow the Publix complex algorithm seemed to know that we are part-time and not full time residents.

Thanks!

My neighbor that I play golf with, just emailed me and said he got a Publix appt this morning. He got up at 5:30 and started and his appt is at the Inverness Publix (Citrus County) for next Friday.

I logged in with my iPad and husband on computer with Firefox right at 6:00. Site didn’t open until about 6:05. Both put into queue. Logged in around 6:15 on computer with Microsoft edge and went right to make appointment. Filled out form and chose Marion county and then a Publix store. Offered a time but when clicked confirm it said that time was already taken. Instead of letting me choose another time I had to review my info, accept terms and tell it I wasn’t a robot. This happened several times before I scored a time that was actually available. Chose make another appointment to schedule for husband and was put through the same loop of being closed out of times. Finally only appointments in distant counties. Never got out of the queue on iPad or husband’s computer. Will try again during next registration window and hope to get one for him. BTW, when I got my confirmation email it also had a second time scheduled for four weeks after at same time and place.

Technically, if you are in a queue, it is not necessarily a first come first served queue system. Obviously, the Publix queue is not. Bummer.

How does Publix have vaccine all of a sudden?
Corruption junction

publix vaccine registration
 

I was able to book for myself, my husband and my friend just by staying in the queue- don't refresh as I believe it will lose your place in line.
Publix does refresh about every minute as you can see the browser ball spinning.

Also, go for the later appointments as sometimes you will be closed out of the earlier ones and then have to start again, and then lose all opportunities for an appointment.

But the more sites you have open, the worse it is for everyone else. I waited 1.5 hrs and never got out of the waiting room while someone I know had 4 sites open and got an appointment. The joke was a couple of hours later when everyone was playing golf, Lake county opened their appointment site with about 2 hrs notice and I have a shot today. No one was watching. Things will change starting today and we will win over the virus.

Site gets overloaded because it doesn't have the capacity to handle the traffic. Use Orlando; they are well organized and give you 2nd appointment at sign up.

we have the doses, there is a shortage of nurses and others qualified to dispense. Publix has over 12 sites in Marion county alone. Their presence in Florida is huge. A good decision. Their system is top notch!
Boo to the person logging in on both their phone and computer.
At least people receiving the vaccine will now have to be Florida residents, full or part time!
Out of state, or country visitors were coming into the state for their vaccine..no longer. They need id showing residency.

VA at Lake Nona
 

For all the Vets and 65 and over Lake Nona is great.. Called in for appt and walked right in!! Was out in less than 30 minutes including the 15 min wait after the shot.. Only downside is it’s about 70 miles but worth the trip and have a date n time for 2nd vac!!

Interesting that "BLIND LUCK" was mentioned. Instead of "Blind" luck why not have a government-designed system of luck for distribution. The vaccine is a FREE good with a limited SUPPLY and an infinite DEMAND. Since there is no price to equalize the supply and demand equation, you need another, more fair, and efficient system of LUCK. There are math and science experts at Universities that have math models to calculate gaming theory and odds at Casinos and for state LOTTERIES. Why not have our government put these experts to work at a game or system of CHANCE that is used to distribute the vaccine within the boundaries of like over age 65 in Florida - or for all health care workers that are involved in direct CV patient care - or in the future, say for over 55 people in Florida. Using a CHANCE system would lower the frustration and hysteria and blood pressure that we can ALL see evident in these threads. Right now we have a NO system, a "catch as catch can" system that depends primarily on the Florida Health Departments in each individual county. It just is NOT working!

You are on to something......use the same system as Powerball to distribute the vaccine. Powerball is designed based on math and science.

The virus IS the main problem, but now society reacts to the problem has also become a problem. Frustration, hysteria, and wasting time have become equal problems. Governments are designed to SOLVE large, systemic problems. Publix and individual county health departments are NOT SYSTEMIC solutions. They are bandaids compared to the CV problem.

Having to drive all over the state seems to me like an INEFFICIENT solution to the problem, a waste of time and fuel, and doing it twice? Are we not taxpayers?

Overloaded. No tricks. Just pray--George Miske

Needed to help a neighbor get an application appointment, what information is needed if you get through?

hope this reply is going to Robbie0723. Publix website will ask: name, address, tel. number; email address to send confirmation of appt.; emergency contact person's name and telephone no. Any allergies to previous vaccines (similar questions that are asked prior to getting flu shot). Also, you will be asked if you are making appt for yourself "or" someone else. You are not asked for SS number or insurance info. However, a few hours after my husband got his email appointment confirmation, he also got a phone call from Publix asking for the last 4 digits of his SS number. His appt is for tomorrow. I have an appt at a different Publix but did not receive a telephone call asking for the last 4 digits of my SS as of yet. Hope this helps

Thank you very much!

To confirm:. You must be a FL resident to get a shot at Publix??? Full Time resident? Snowbirds that do not own property are excluded??? Would be different than the Sumter County Health Dept. rules.

Just made 2 appointments for Monday. Strange thing is, I had 2 computers running, one computer got to the sign-up page twice and the other is still waiting! Both are Windows running Chrome browser. Sure glad I blew the dust off my laptop and turned it on.