COVID Vaccine Sign Up
 

Another hour spent on the Publix site, another unsuccessful attempt at getting an appointment. When Marion County filled, I thought I got registered in Volusia County...I answered a battery of questions, got to the end, submitted and I hit a dead end. Friday is another day. ☹️

Yes - an hour I won't get back either.
At least they updated the website a bit.
What is it with the panhandle? They always are the last to fill.

Friends drove thru the panhandle a couple of weeks ago in their motorhome. They told me that in gas stations and rest areas, the large majority of people weren't wearing masks. At the campground they stayed at, people in the office and other staff were also maskless. So, from what they told me, the majority of folks up there don't need the vaccine, they have a natural immunity. They had paid for 3 nights but left after the first

I lost out too. My wife and I for one hour on two computers. I'd love to know how the priority in line works. Do you have to be on before 6? We were at 0550 and it didn't help. Any info on the county system? We signed up at the beginning and have not heard a thing.

I am pretty sure there is no priority system. Being online before 6 or even at 6 doesn't seem to give you a better chance to get an appointment.

Publix vaccine sign up frustrating but successful
 

I started early but I don't know if that helps. As I refreshed the browser every 10 seconds, or so, I watched the availability numbers drop. After about 45 minutes I got the appointment button. Filled everything in (you'll need your insurance card) and I picked a time, then boom, it was no longer available and the page stopped functioning - I couldn't pick a different time. I hit the back button on my browser till I got to the appointment button and started over. Finally successful after 5 trips through, I picked Volusia County and "Magnolia Plaza" - SUCCESS! Except, that address is in Panama City and the appointment is for 10:12 am on Saturday. Glad I got an appointment but sorry I'll have a 600 mi round trip this weekend and the second 600 mi round trip scheduled for Feb 27.

You don't need your insurance card. Just don't check the insurance selection.

Is there a reasonable explanation to explain why Publix uses 6 am as the time to release appointments?

The panhandle is nothing like the rest of Florida. I lived in Pensacola for six years in the late 70s and early 80s and it's really nice. Same kind of sandy white beaches and blue water as you find in Clearwater, but much less crowded in Pensacola, Ft. Walton, Destin and Panama City Beach without all the snow birds. The only bad time is spring break, Panama City Beach gets it share of college kids.

The panhandle season is the opposite of ours, the summer is the high season with tourist, many are families with kids in school and they come from Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and throughout that region. I remember in the winter going over to Panama City Beach the first time, this was back in 1970 when I was in the Army at Ft. Rucker Alabama, which is just across the state line. I said, who are all these people on the beach in January. They said, Canadians, to them 50 degrees is warm and it's off season here so they can stay cheaper.

Everyone there calls the area 'LA' for Lower Alabama or other nickname is The Redneck Riveria. Mostly Florida State Seminole fans, not big on the Gators. A lot of retired and active duty military, Eglin AFB is at Ft. Walton, Tyndall AFB at PCB and Navy Pensacola, great places for a military retirees to settle. The only big negative is that area seems to get hit by more hurricanes. If it hadn't been for TV, I would probably retired in that area.

https://news.gulfbreezenews.com/wp-c...06-14/26p3.jpg

I was living there in 1977 when Jaws 2 was filmed and the movie company was based at the Holiday Inn at Navarre Beach. I made a couple of trips out to the site, it's halfway between Pensacola and Ft. Walton Beach. I saw many of the crew but not any of the actors. That Holiday Inn had a Holidome with shops and restaurants and indoor pool.

The opening scene in the film with the mayor speaking and the band playing was shot inside the Holidome by the pool.

https://news.gulfbreezenews.com/wp-c...06-14/26p4.jpg

Unfortunately in 1995 Hurricane Opal wiped out the Holiday Inn at Navarre Beach. The owners decided not to rebuild and it's no longer there.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/81/21/47/8...75b263c08a.jpg

The lighthouse in the film was actually made of plywood and was built at the tip of Pensacola Beach at Ft. Pickens State Park.

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQ5rMWcvj...0/IMG_0585.jpg

Sheriff Brody passes by Amity Town Hall.

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-podbTrPwq...0/IMG_0588.jpg

It's actually in downtown Pensacola at 410 E. Government St.

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yZnvUNCjd...0/IMG_6778.jpg

My guess is that they want to do it outside of their normal business hours. They are also scheduling appointments far enough apart so as to not disrupt their grocery business. I think they are giving the vaccine as a public service, but don't want it to interfere with their main business.

That makes sense. Kroger website in SC has the Covid vaccine appts mixed in with all other vaccines, and for several days the appointment section hasn't been working. Maybe they would do well to adjust their scheduling times to earlier in the day.

Perhaps the panhandle in the central time zone, not as many up at 5am.

I keep telling everyone, companies like Publix, CVS, Walgreens are not equipped to handle mass vaccinations. Vaccinating one person every 10 to 15 minutes it will take years to get everyone vaccinated. The counties need to open mass vaccination sites like stadiums. Fire stations, police stations, schools, etc. once supply is available they need to be vaccinating people at the rate of one every 10 to 20 seconds not minutes. Just like the military. Using retail stores to me is just about money nothing more.

Panama City is in Bay County, not Volusia. Yikes!

We found that if you use auto fill for your address on the Publix vaccine site, be sure to NOT use the 4 digits after the 1st 5 of your zip code. It stalls out your entry.

That makes sense. I tried to access the Publix app one morning during the 6-7am vaccine signup and it was almost non-responsive.