Looking to get an appointment for a vaccine in New Jersey — anywhere in New Jersey? Start looking outside the state. It can be a backdoor to New Jersey spots. Seriously.
That’s the advice of Doris Zito, an expert at navigating the health care field through her work at HealthLink Advocates in Chatham.
Zito said a big issue is getting access to the registration sites — as anyone who has seen the “no appointments are available at this time” notice can attest.
Some pharmacies, such as CVS, have all their locations on their site. Starting in other states, where there are appointments, helps get you into the registration system, she said. From there, you can change your preference to New Jersey through the ZIP code designation.
It’s one of the tricks of the trade from someone who has spent day and night for weeks in search of spots for her clients.
“I’ve been able to find appointment times even when the New Jersey portal said no appointments are available,” she said.
Zito said she starts in Billings, Montana —for no particular reason. Others, she said, have had success starting in Alaska, Hawaii or other states.
“It doesn’t work every time,” she said.
But it is another option — especially for those who have run out of patience after running into so many roadblocks.
