A new state-managed COVID-19 vaccine scheduling website that went live Wednesday appears to be handling demand with no reported technical issues.
The Vaccine & Immunization Network Interface, or VINI, processed more than 6,700 scheduling requests as of 4pm, according to state officials. Eligible residents can access the system at vaccines.nh.gov, or call 2-1-1 for assistance.
[You can read NHPR's vaccine explainer here.]
VINI’s launch coincided with the start of Phase 2A in New Hampshire, which includes K-12 school employees, staff at childcare facilities, and youth camp employees. Many public school teachers are receiving shots at clinics organized by local school districts, and don’t need to register using the new system.
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VINI replaces the federally-run VAMS system, which New Hampshire utilized during Phase 1 of its vaccine rollout. VAMS was plagued with technical issues, and its limited interface left many residents confused and frustrated as they attempted to schedule appointments.
“I thought it went really well today. I would give it a ten,” said Debra Corsetti, a school lunch aide from Weare who successfully registered using VINI Wednesday morning. “There were just no problems at all.”
Other educators, including Larry Ballard of Amherst, also successfully registered. Ballard, a music teacher, was able to schedule his first dose for this Friday.
“The website had no glitches, no hangs, it was really comprehensive, and I was surprisingly pleased,” he said.
After watching her husband, a medical provider, struggle with the VAMS system earlier this year, Diane Hotten-Somers said she was preparing herself for a long ordeal Wednesday morning.
“I was pleasantly surprised that five minutes after I started, I was back getting a cup of coffee,” said Hotten-Somers, who teaches high school English at the Derryfield School.
Among the new changes to the vaccine roll out in New Hampshire, eligible residents can now schedule appointments directly for Walgreens locations, in addition to state-run sites and a limited number of hospitals.
Residents aged 50 to 64 can begin scheduling appointments next week in New Hampshire.
