Week after week we bring you stories of local residents frustrated trying to schedule their COVID-19 vaccine and not being able to get through.

 Local lawmakers saw this frustration and are trying to bring a database to the  commonwealth allowing people who are eligible to receive the vaccine the opportunity to schedule appointments on one site. After some voting and a signature from Governor Wolf, this site can be live within a few weeks.

This will be beneficial for people like 82-year-old Cynthia Leopold, one of the many frustrated not being able to schedule a vaccine appointment. She has spent hours on end registering on a dozens of sites.
 
“After spending all the time filling everything out and then signing up for an appointment and then they tell you that appointment’s been filled within seconds,” Leopold says. “I gave up.”

She knows she isn't alone with wanting a simple way to schedule and Representative Ryan Bizzarro knows that too.

“This is a need for all Pennsylvanians,” Bizzarro says.
 
That is why he and other legislators from across all four corners of the state are introducing a bill to bring a centralized website to schedule COVID-19 vaccines.

He has seen residents in his own office frustrated over this vaccination scheduling.

“There are people who are spending between an hour to two hours on the internet trying to schedule an appointment and coming up short at the end of the day after they’ve waited so long,” Bizzarro says.

Those who are eligible will plug in their information and health risks to the department of health website and from there they will be in a queue and in line to receive a vaccine.


Once names are in the system, all of the providers will have the information to filter through will then  reach out personally.

While filling out questions on the database, people can register individually or as a pair.

 “A lot of older couples like to get their vaccination together,” Bizzarro says. “Not only can you register with your significant other, you can also choose the distance in which you’re willing to travel.”


If you qualify, you'll get a call for the first vaccination available within that distance.
Bizzarro knows this is what needs to be done and wishes it could have been done from the start.


 County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper is also on board , telling us in a statement: “If the database can be established in an expeditious and fiscally responsible manner, I support it. The need is here and now. I understand people are anxious to get a vaccine and would find some comfort in at least putting their name in a queue.”

It's important to note this website isn't up and running yet. Bizzarro hopes to have the bill introduced by the end of the week and then voted on so the site can be up and running in next couple weeks. He says he's looking forward to working with the department of health and governor  on this centralized system.