Thread by @propublica

1/ We are *still* hearing from people fighting vaccine bills and getting turned away from appointments.

Getting a free vaccine shouldn’t require a call from a journalist.👇

2/ Usually, the people contacting us have already tried to push back on their own.

Here are some of the situations we’ve encountered over the last two weeks:

3/ In Florida, vaccines require proof of residency. A 68-year-old in Orlando was turned away after waiting 2+ hours at a @FEMA-backed site. She's been staying with her daughter for months and doesn’t have proof of residency that can satisfy FL's requirements.

4/ This week, an undocumented woman who lives in Miami was denied a vaccine at the federally-funded Miami Dade College site.

None of FL’s proof of residency options work for her. She pays rent in cash. She doesn’t have a bank account. There are many people like her.

5/ FL’s Division of Emergency Management @FLSERT said the residency rules were meant to keep out vaccine tourists, and that these women should be vaccinated. But on the ground, they were turned away.

6/ (Florida’s residency requirements have kept many people who live in Florida from getting a vaccine, the @MiamiHerald reported:) miamiherald.com/article2504663…

7/ A student at @UCBerkeley tried for weeks to get $120 of vaccine charges removed from her account. The school charged students who don’t use its insurance provider with the expectation that students would get reimbursed by their own insurance. Per the CDC, that’s not allowed!

8/ We reached out to UC Berkeley and they’ve now removed the vaccine charges from 267 students’ accounts and clarified that no one should have a vaccine-related charge on their account.

https://twitter.com/TangCenterCal/status/1383209381769011202?s=20

9/ Getting an appointment often still requires access to technology and computer literacy. Language access can create yet another barrier. Some people who’ve called/texted just needed someone to give them clear information, in Spanish, on where & how to get a vaccine.

10/ Reminder: You absolutely should not be turned away from a COVID vaccine appointment because you don’t have a social security number or insurance.

https://twitter.com/propublica/status/1379832756855783432?s=20

11/ If you have something to share about vaccine equity and accessibility, please help us continue reporting. You can get in touch through the form below, or call/text 202-681-0779 in English or Spanish.

propublica.org/getinvolved/ar…