Anyone eligible for first dose of COVID-19 vaccine can enter appointment lottery
People will be randomly selected on Thursdays for the following week’s appointments
–San Luis Obispo County community members who are currently eligible for their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can now register either online or by phone for the county’s new appointment lottery.
“This is a fair and easy way to get your first-dose appointment if you are eligible. We don’t want to leave anyone behind,” said County Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein. “We hope this new registry and lottery will reduce stress, as people will no longer need to rush to get an appointment. If you’re eligible, you only have to sign up once and don’t need to worry about checking back – you’ll hear from us each week whether you get an appointment or not.”
Currently, anyone age 65 or older, or anyone in Phase 1a of the county’s vaccine distribution plan, may register for the appointment lottery. Eligible individuals can register for the lottery online at www.RecoverSLO.org/VaccineAppointments and complete the registration form. Individuals will be able to indicate their appointment preferences for clinic location, days, and times, but the county may not be able to accommodate all preferences.
Because vaccine supply is very limited, not everyone who signs up will get an appointment right away. Each Thursday, a computer-generated random sample will be drawn from the registry and the county will assign appointments based on how much vaccine is available the following week. Those without internet access or who have difficulty with the online form can call the phone assistance center at (805) 543-2444 or (805) 781-4280 and an operator can help them.
Anyone in the registry by Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. will be included in the random selection of appointments assigned the following week. After the County assigns appointments each week, all registry participants will receive an update of their status stating that they have been provided an appointment or will remain on the registry for the following week.
Individuals who have already received their first dose should not sign up for the lottery to get their second dose. They will be contacted about a month after their first dose to schedule their second dose appointment.
For more information, visit www.ReadySLO.org or call the recorded Public Health Information Line at (805) 788-2903. A staffed phone assistance center is available at (805) 543-2444 to assist with questions related to COVID-19 seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
