If you've been looking for facts about getting your COVID-19 vaccine, you might have discovered that just finding clear information on how to schedule an appointment for an eligible person can be a difficult, time-consuming process.
A week ago, a site called VaccinateCA launched that not only lists vaccination sites around California, but details their current vaccine availability. The information is gathered manually by a team who compiled a list of medical centers, pharmacies and hospitals around the state, and now regularly contacts those locations to confirm their vaccine inventory — as well as what groups they're now accepting, and how to make an appointment yourself.
But the thing about VaccinateCA? It's completely staffed by volunteers who make those calls, maintain the website and coordinate efforts across the state. And this crowdsourcing is filling a need in California that as yet, health officials don't seem to have addressed themselves: the need for residents to simply schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment near them.