SLO County drops COVID vaccine lottery, switches to state appointment system
Starting on Tuesday, San Luis Obispo County residents looking for coronavirus vaccines will now register for appointments through the state’s My Turn program — eliminating the locally run lottery system.
The county closed its own RecoverSLO.org registry and gave anyone still seeking a vaccine through the system the chance to make a first-dose appointment next week, a Public Health news release said.
The My Turn system allows residents looking for vaccines the chance to book shot appointments directly through the site. Previously, vaccine-seekers registered for the county’s system and were entered into a lottery every week for the chance to receive available appointments.
Dr. Penny Borenstein, county Public Health officer, said during a Wednesday news conference that the county had waited to switch to California’s system while the state worked out initial issues with the site.
“Early on, those counties that were doing some of the pilot testing had a lot of requests for system improvements,” Borenstein said. “We wanted to give our staff — our IT staff, our administrative staff, our phone assistance staff — the opportunity to become familiar with it, to understand its capabilities, to be able to communicate to the public what the system does and how it works. We now feel confident it has gotten to a point where it can serve our community well at this time.”
Residents who have yet to sign up can visit MyTurn.ca.gov or RecoverSLO.org to access the state appointment system. Those who need assistance registering for a vaccine can call 833-422-4255 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday.
Where to get a COVID-19 test and schedule a vaccine appointment
Free coronavirus testing is available at clinics throughout San Luis Obispo County. To make an appointment, visit emergencySLO.org/testing; you can register by phone at 888-634-1123.
As of Wednesday, the county Public Health Department is administering coronavirus vaccines to everyone age 16 and up.
Those eligible to receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can register online or by phone for California’s My Turn appointment system.
To find appointments, visit MyTurn.ca.gov and complete the registration process. Those who need assistance registering for a vaccine can call 833-422-4255 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday.
To sign up for email alerts, visit EmergencySLO.org/en/newsletter.aspx.
In addition to the state’s My Turn system, residents can find appointments for coronavirus vaccines through private health partners and some chain pharmacies, including CVS and Vons.
