“The whole situation could be described as chaotic and aggravating.”

“Dear PoPville,

Basic timeline of events:

– scheduled an appointment on 2/27 for 3/27 at 2:15p. I got my first vaccine at a Safeway originally (took 10 minutes!) and then had to sign up online for my second at a different location through a link Safeway gave me to. I picked this senior center at 3001 Alabama Ave SE.

– 3/27, 2:15p: show up at the site. Incredibly long line that wraps around the building. Everyone in line has scheduled 2p or 2:15 appointments.

– 2:30p: the 2:30 appt people start showing up and stand behind me in line. The line has not moved

– 2:35p: they finally let everyone in the building, they corral 50-100 people into hallways

– 2:40 the workers vaguely organize us into crowded rooms according to our appointment times (nobody really explains what’s going on so my fellow 2:15ers are all standing, lined up by a door thinking we will be brought into a separate room for the vaccination. There are about 30-35 of us)
– 2:50: a worker finally comes and tells us we can sit down because we Be vaccinated in that room. She also takes our IDs, vaccination record cards, and health insurance cards and leaves with them to make copies.
– 3:15 – Our documents are finally returned and the Pharmacist doing the vaccination finally enters the room. We go in the order of who happens to be sitting next to the pharmacist. Luckily I am sitting l right behind the pharmacist so I get it first in the room. I get my card sign and jet on out of there. Only after I get home do I realize I was supposed to be put in a waiting facility for 15 mins to make sure I am ok. As the first person to get the shot in our room, I was out of there quickly but I would estimate other people in the room probably had to wait another 30-45 mins for the vaccinator to get to them.

The whole situation could be described as chaotic and aggravating. The center seemed overwhelmed and understaffed. There was no clear instructions and no ability to socially distance in many scenarios. There were many elderly people waiting in for their vaccines who had to bear unnecessary stress by standing in cramped hallways for long periods of time. I know my situation is not reflective of all other 2nd vaccine administrations in DC but it does seem like the most ridiculously run one.”