Skip to main content
Currently Reading
'I just don't want them to throw it away': These CT residents are on the hunt for excess COVID vaccine
FacebookTwitterEmail
A drive-thru vaccine clinic in Danbury on May 14, 2020.H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media
For the past few weeks, Joel Leyden has spent much of his time hunting—and helping others hunt — for precious excess doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Leyden, who is 66 and lives in Manchester, started a Facebook group called “New York / Connecticut Vaccine Hunters,” on Feb. 1. In less than two weeks, the group has ballooned to over 2,600 members who include both eligible vaccine-seekers looking for appointments and non-eligible ones looking for excess doses. People post their questions: Where can I get one? Who should I call? What should I say on the phone? Others offer advice: try reloading the site right at midnight, try this place for an excess dose, look for canceled appointments here. They also post their success or failure stories. It’s a trend that has popped up all over the country, from southern Alabama to eastern Idaho.