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For those eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine — and are frustrated with the complicated sign-up procedures of the CDC or state Department of Health — Yale New Haven Health is a great option.
They offer several locations throughout Connecticut, including Fairfield (near the traffic circle), Trumbull and Greenwich.
Click here to schedule an appointment. Click here for more information on who is available to receive the vaccine.
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How are the Y’s Women doing during the pandemic?
Just fine!
President Barb Stephen reports that meetings for the group of retired and working women are going well. And the virtual meetings are available for viewing long after they’re live (the 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month).
You don’t have to be a member, either
Recent guests have included actor James Naughton, TEAM Westport chair Harold Bailey, musician Chris Coogan and tech guru David Pogue. To view any of the chats, click here.
Up next: Dr. Richard Prum discusses the evolution of beauty (January 25); Jane Ferreira describes the work of Mercy Learning Center (February 8), and Bill Harris previews the opening of Sacred Heart University Community Theatre (February 22).
But that’s not all. This Thursday (January 21), Tours of Distinction president Tyler Zajacz will lead “Travel Trivia.” Participants can win a free day trip (once the Y’s Women resume traveling together). Sorry — members only! But for more information on the Y’s Women — including how to join — click here.
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Staples High School Class of 1969 graduate Scott Karsten died earlier this month of a heart attack. He was 69 years old, and lived in Glastonbury.
A state heavyweight wrestling champion at Staples, (and organist in a band), he graduated from Wesleyan University, and was 3rd in his class at the University of Connecticut School of Law.
To deepen his understanding of his profession, Karsten served as a police officer and president of the police union in West Hartford. He founded his own law firm, focusing on complex civil actions at the state and federal levels.
After his wife Beth died of cancer at 41, Karsten was a devoted single parent.
He was an avid fisherman and hunter; a skillful cook, wicked card player, smooth dancer and “surprisingly effective karaoke singer.”
Karsten is survived by his partner Gail Petersen; daughter Jules; mother Jayne; sisters Tracey Karsten Farrell and Jill Karsten; brother Kurt, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
His service will be livestreamed on Monday (January 18, 11 a.m.); click here to see.
Scott Karsten
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And finally … Sylvain Sylvain died Wednesday, at 69, after a 2-year battle with cancer.
Rolling Stone called him a “punk icon and guitarist for New York Dolls whose riffs bridged the gap between punk and glam.” His wife, O’Kelley Mizrahi, said, “Please crank up his music, light a candle, say a prayer and let’s send this beautiful doll on his way.”
No appointments available for the vaccine.
Oh my! Two 06880 “obits” of people I knew on the same day! Scott Karsten was one year ahead of me at Wesleyan in the early 1970s — we Staples alums tended to look out for each other. His sister Tracey would stop by from time to time. Sorry to hear of their loss.
Right, no available appointments and no way to sign up for future ones (or even find out when they might exist. Thank you, multimillion dollar a year Yale New Haven execs!
Across the state, over 8,000 appointments were booked in the first 24 hours the Yale New Haven Health website was live.
Future dates can’t be posted until the state allocates how much vaccine will be distributed to each organization.
Dan — Good for those 8,000 lucky lottery winners! Any sensible system would given each subsequent website registrant a “place in line” and then assign appointments, in order, when they do become available. Those of us with 90+ year old parents will gladly accept ANY appointment, ANY time in a 20 mile radius. Requiring us to repeatedly log onto a website with the faint hope that new appointments were added is a cruel update of the Soviet system forcing citizens to line up for bread, toilet paper and potatoes, day after day, without knowing if there were any to be had. But we are talking life and death here, not potatoes.
Peter, I’m extremely compassionate to your situation. I worked hard to secure an appointment for my mother through VAMS.
I didn’t design the system Yale New Haven is using and it may have it’s flaws; but I don’t think your idea of keeping an electronic line and assigning appointment days and times to people when they may or may not be available is a good system either. It would likely result in a huge no-show rate which isn’t good for anyone.
As of tonight, the Yale New Haven system is showing appointments available within 10 days in Greenwich and Orange. Each is outside of your 20 mile limitation, but there is availability. When there are more vaccines made available to the state and the health care systems, new appointments will be added.
We made our appointment on Jan.14 and got our shots the next day at Norwalk Senior Center
Dan, as usual thanks for your info, but unfortunately the Yale NH site was filled for now. Also, I have a problem with the VAMS site. Unable to login
or reset password. Wondering if any of your readers have this same problem. Thanks
Suggest that everyone takes a look at the Hartford Healthcare (HHC) site which has more availability and functions better than either the government VAMS and Yale sites.
HHC also deserves praise for their Covid testing site at the old Hall Brook Hospital on Long Lots Rd. which is very well run and demonstrates a commitment to public health beyond anything the other two medical oligopolies (Yale and Nuvance) are doing in this crisis.
The HHC Covid vaccine web page is at https://hartfordhealthcare.org/health-wellness/coronavirus/vaccine
It also makes things easier if you’re registered with HHC’s MyChart portal at https://mychartplus.org/myChart
Thanks Peter I’ll try that site. Tom