This is a personal anecdote so please take it with a grain of salt. I hope something like this can work for you but I know I was lucky and fortunate to live near the right place at the right time. If even one of you can get someone vaccinated with an otherwise lost dose I will consider this a success.

I live in a big city. I heard a lot of vaccines were still getting binned by missed appointments, so a couple weeks ago I walked into a few nearby drug stores and asked if they have a call list, why not? A few said no, but one took down my name, birthday, and number. I figured that wouldn’t have worked, and if it did I wouldn't hear back from them anyway. But it did, and this week they called and said they had “a bunch of doses can you come before closing in 30 minutes.” So, incredulously, I walked over and I got my shot.

The pharmacist said there were a high number of cancellations that day (it was pretty cold and wet?). He said some other pharmacies in the area were also trying to get doses placed. An elderly customer there by chance was also able to get a dose, and on my way out I told some other customers coming into the store to check at the desk. Altogether, I saw at least 4 missed doses go out, but it sounded like they still ended up having to toss some.

They said I was on my own to find the next dose a month from now, so come ask again then. We'll see what happens.

This is at a time when my eligible (diabetic) sister can't get an appointment because her state's online system is stopping her with the birthdate only. My coworker is in the same boat with his own health issues, saying the appointments disappear before you can click on them. People who manage to get these appointments are missing them - ok maybe there's a good reason. But why does that mean there are no backup plans for these vaccines?

It should go without saying, but I have to note that the people (pharmacists) giving the shots are in no way at fault here - see rants below.

Depending on your state, find your nearest vaccine distribution site, preferably a store pharmacy (Idk about other spots but try them too why not). I don’t know how it would work in really rural areas or states not distributing through drug stores. And no idea outside of the US, maybe someone has info for these cases? I'm sorry... :/

Anyway, this website can help you find one nearby: https://vaccinefinder.org/search/

If you know of a better tool, tell me! You can also google something like "[state] covid vaccine map."

When you find some sites, go in person, calling will get you a machine. Wait in line and ask the pharmacist if they have a covid waitlist or take contact info for missed appointments - you can ask if they'll take other names too but no idea if that's pushing it. Maybe come with a short list of nearby contacts you can give them? I know this isn't most people, but preferably folks who can easily get there within 20 minutes.

If not, see if they'll let you know when their last appointment of the day is typically. This way, if you have time you can come check periodically to see if they have extra doses that would otherwise go to waste. Worst thing that happens is you've stopped at the pharmacy while picking up some groceries.

Importantly, tell people you know who might be trying unsuccessfully to apply for a vaccine or are ineligible but at risk about this!!

When Moderna/Pfizer vials are opened, there is a 6 hour window for the vial to be used (they contain no preservative). Eligible people are signing up for vaccine appointments and for one reason or another are missing them. This means that dose does not have an arm to go into. If it's not used within 6 hours of opening it has to be tossed.

In my state at least, there is no top down plan for dealing with this. These vaccines are in short supply so it’s critical to make sure they aren’t wasted, even if that means someone ineligible gets it.

The government has abandoned its responsibility to the people, and now we’re at the mercy of Walgreens and CVS. They have no direct corporate incentive to set up a backup system. So the vaccine site, usually the customer-facing pharmacist, is now not only tasked with their normal job plus vaccines, but also finding a new arm to put any unaccounted dose into. That means asking customers or pulling people off the street. Often it means disposing of precious vaccines because no one can be found.

I mean, no? But... in a perfect world we should at least know our place is in line, and people would be enrolled in ranked waitlists that can be searched by pharmacies around you. But in reality there's nothing, and so you are doing what you can to mitigate what this country has set up: flushing vaccines down the drain when someone doesn’t or can't show up. At the end of the day you are saving this dose from the trash. More people need to know about this, eligible and not.

Here are some further justifications to make you feel better:

• You are helping make the pharmacist’s job easier by being one less arm for them to find.
• We need shots in arms
• You can find a good site for this and then tell other people who need this vaccine to go there.
• We need shots in arms
• Your shot now means a shot that will be free for someone else when you would be eligible.
• We need shots in arms.
• Your immunity breaks a possible chain of infection for others, eligible or not.
• We need shots in fucking arms.

We live in hell. I cannot believe I was able to do this when my sick, eligible family and coworkers have been looking for a vaccine for so long through the broken appointment systems. Luckily they're trying this now and one put down their name at the same site I did. But I'm privileged with a good job and a good education, and I shouldn't be the last option for this dose.

Why is it the pharmacist's responsibility?? Maybe it's just my state but this system they put in place is disgusting and I’m filled with sadness and rage every time I think about it. Whole cities were vaccinated for polio in the course of weeks right after WW2, get your fucking act together. Throw out and eat every last neoliberal ghoul running this shit.

Also, why the fuck is no one talking about this?? I've seen a few small articles here and there mostly shaming no one in particular, but this should be common knowledge! Get everyone's name on a list and make sure these doses don't get tossed!

Appointment twitter bots, credit @notcontenttobequiet!

For NYC comrades: https://mobile.twitter.com/turbovax?s=11

For NJ comrades: https://mobile.twitter.com/C19VaxxUpdates

All USA comrades - standby list of leftover vaccines: https://vaxstandby.hidrb.com/

For California comrades - crowdsourced vaccine tracker: https://www.vaccinateca.com/

For Chicagoland comrades - crowdsourced Google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTKBvpFE1ac_MdJkQc7y19_74HoXKIMBp3gvclrk8eCRHnkqEXozDh26L22wHF-R4wg8se3Adh64_TD/pub

For Colorado comrades: https://mobile.twitter.com/COVaxAlerts

For Georgia comrades - text based vaccine app: https://discodroid.ai/vaxapp/

For Massachusetts comrades: https://mobile.twitter.com/vaccinetime

For Michigan comrades - crowdsourced vaccine tracker: https://www.vaccinemi.com/

For Minneapolis comrades - Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/groups/350853309230438

For Pennsylvania comrades - crowdsourced vaccine tracker: https://vaccinatepa.org/

For Texas comrades - crowdsourced vaccine tracker: https://www.covid19vaccinetx.com/

For Washington state comrades - crowdsourced vaccine tracker: https://www.covidwa.com/

You should try to read the above, but basically ask your pharmacist (nicely and in person) about a waitlist for the covid vaccine. Doses can go to waste if someone doesn't show up, and you or your loved one being there helps that dose get used.