Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Website To Be Tested With Thousands Of New Appointments Thursday
NATICK (CBS) - Governor Charlie Baker said tech experts have been working all week to make sure the state's website for COVID-19 vaccination appointments doesn't crash like it did last week.
"Getting online, trying to make appointments was actually really, really difficult," said Denise Kelly, who was finally able to find an appointment for her father at the Natick Mall.
"It's been incredibly difficult for people like me," said Karen Palmer, who felt lucky to get her shot Wednesday.
The Governor said 50,000 new appointments go online Thursday morning at the state's mass vaccination sites, and he hopes the new digital waiting room will improve the experience. "We believe the waiting room in particular, which is a tool that a lot of people use when they don't know exactly how much traffic they're going to have, will be a very important part of making sure people have access to the site," he said.
While he said vaccine supply is short, the state's capacity to give shots increases by the day. A mass vaccination site opened Wednesday at a former Circuit City in Dartmouth. In addition, municipalities are now teaming up to create 11 new regional collaboratives across the state.
Governor Baker said news from Washington D.C. has him hopeful there will be supply for all the new clinics. "On the same day to have J & J's vaccine deemed safe and effective by the FDA and to have Moderna and Pfizer say they would double their vaccine production in March is a really positive development."
Visit Mass.Gov/CovidVaccine to find out when you're eligible and to book an appointment
