The new state-managed vaccination scheduling system had a rocky rollout Monday morning.
On the first day all those over 50 years old could sign up for the vaccine under Phase 2b, many residents said during the first few hours they were having difficulty signing up.
“Trying to sign up on NH’s snazzy new vaccination registration site. Several tries since it opened, and still …,” reported Eve Porter-Zuckerman on Twitter.
Gov. Chris Sununu said there were glitches early on, but state information technology officials had gotten a handle on the problems.
“An unprecedented volume of web traffic was experienced this morning, a good sign that Granite Staters are ready and eager to receive their vaccine, which did cause some to experience delays,” Sununu said in a statement.
“Registrations have been accepted and continue to be processed at an increasing pace, with over 35,000 having scheduled an appointment within the first three hours.”
Benjamin Vihstadt, the governor’s spokesman, said the state expected that more than 100,000 will have registered by the end of Monday.
This would leave about 100,000 other appointments to be reserved. State officials encouraged people to log back onto the system to get a convenient time and location to get the shot.
New Hampshire was one of only nine states to allow the federal government to manage its scheduling through the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS).
There were glitches with that as well at the beginning. More than 25,000 residents who had signed up for shot appointments lost them when they tried, as the state advised, to register for earlier available times.
In response, Sununu announced two months ago that a state-run scheduling system would replace it.
Sununu said the new system was the Vaccine Immunization Navigation Interface or VINI. “Vini will get it done for you,” Sununu said.
The governor said he decided not to begin the new program until all the other earlier phases had been completed for those over 65 years old, first responders, residents and staff in long-term care settings.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig urged residents to be patient on Monday.
“I’m trying to sign up for my vaccine this morning like so many others, and I’m also having issues registering. I encourage everyone to keep trying (I will be!) — the more people who get vaccinated, the sooner we can get through this pandemic,” Craig tweeted.
At about 9 a.m., the state acknowledged on vaccines.nh.gov that there were problems.
“The site is currently experiencing technical delays. Registrations may still be processed, but at a slower pace,” the state website advised. “We are working diligently to address these issues and will provide updates as soon as they become available. We sincerely apologize for any delays you may be experiencing.”
By 10 a.m., many were reporting that after numerous attempts, they were able to get through to schedule an initial shot.
Anna and William Boulia of Hudson signed up to get their first shot Monday morning and by that afternoon were vaccinated at the Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem.
Things didn’t go as smoothly for Martha Laflamme.
“It took me 7 or 8 attempts; finally got through the process and selected an appointment. (It) took 15-20 minutes for the appointment to be confirmed,” Laflamme, tweeted. “In all, a frustrating experience, 2.5 hours of time. I hope the governor doesn’t try and say everything went well.”
State Democratic leaders blamed Sununu for the signup’s fits and starts.
“This is now the second time that Governor Sununu has promised a seamless vaccine registration process for Granite Staters and failed to deliver. The governor’s inability to create a working, effective registration system is unacceptable,” Sen. Cindy Rosenwald, D-Nashua, said in a mid-afternoon statement.
The fastest way to schedule an appointment is through vaccines.nh.gov.
Residents can still call 211 to schedule an appointment, though there were reports Monday morning that residents were unable to get through to the telephone service for long periods.
