MACON, Ga. — Getting your second COVID-19 vaccine appointment with the North Central Health District should get a little easier.
Starting Wednesday, you can schedule your second appointment when you go in for your first shot.
John Peterson says when he scheduled his first appointment, he got lucky.
"I decided, 'Well, let's go ahead and get aggressive here,' so I got aggressive and I was very fortunate. I think I got through on the 32nd attempt," he says.
Michael York had a tougher time getting through.
"I would dial it, get a busy, dial it again, and I probably spent six hours doing that."
He finally got through.
"It was almost like winning the lottery."
Both men say once they got someone on the line, it was smooth sailing.
"At that time, I asked her about the second shot and she says, 'You've got to call back,'" says Peterson.
That's something they both say they were dreading.
"It would be a very tough call, getting through again based on my first experience," says York. "It just causes a lot of stress."
Not anymore. Starting Wednesday, the North Central Health District says you can make your second appointment when you come to your first.
For people like York and Peterson who have already gotten their first shot, they'll get a call from their local health department telling them when to come back.
"Our county health departments themselves are actually working on reaching out to those individuals who got their first dose to receive their second dose," says Michael Hokanson, spokesperson for the district.
York says he's already gotten that call in Hancock County.
"They just told me that my second shot will be given on the 11th," he says. "Unless, you know, they have to reschedule it for a supply issue," which Michael Hokanson says is a possibility because they have no control over how many doses they receive from the state.
He says they're working through the list to call people back who have already come in for their first shot, so they're once again asking for patience.
If you're expecting a call back, he says they will attempt to contact you a few times, but if they can't reach you, they'll have to move on and it's up to you to call the hotline to schedule your second appointment.