Manatee’s vaccine website crash reveals America’s failure on COVID-19 | Letter to the editor

We have failed as a nation-state.

I draw that conclusion from my own failed attempt Monday at registering for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment. I’m sure many other readers had the same experience my husband and I did, with a completely overloaded webpage and a link that couldn’t connect, given the crush of Manatee internet users trying to secure an appointment. Sitting at my desk, watching the little dots go around in a pointless circle as my computer tried to connect to the EventBrite page showing precious appointment slots, gave me time to reflect on all that has gone wrong in this nation since our current president told Bob Woodward this disease was so dangerous.

With no national leadership on our response (some would say we instead have had leadership in the wrong direction), we keep passing dreadful milestones of death and illness, and yet our leaders nationally and in Florida told our fellow citizens there’s no need to wear a little scrap of cloth over their faces. And now that vaccines have been produced in astonishing record time, our leaders cannot deliver those coveted shots efficiently to the people.

Staff at Manatee County are trying to do a good job, and I give them credit for that. But only 1,200 vaccinations are available for the two remaining days this week of appointments. County officials estimated recently that 100,000 persons fall into the current category of those 65 and above who are eligible for the vaccine now. At the rate of 1,200 vaccines a week, we will finish vaccinating 100,000 Manatee residents in 83.3 weeks, or 1.6 years. If, that is, we’re not dead by then.

That’s a pretty clear picture of a failed nation-state. V.V. Putin must be so pleased.

Deborah L. Pierce

Bradenton