SLO County unveils vaccine appointment lottery system for eligible residents

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. -- San Luis Obispo County is opening an appointment lottery for all residents that are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday.

Residents that enter will be randomly selected for a vaccination appointment next Thursday.

“This is a fair and easy way to get your first-dose appointment if you are eligible. We don’t want to leave anyone behind,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, County Health Officer. “We hope this new registry and lottery will reduce stress, as people will no longer need to rush to get an appointment. If you’re eligible, you only have to sign up once and don’t need to worry about checking back – you’ll hear from us each week whether you get an appointment or not.” 

Currently, only residents that are 65 and older and/or anyone in Phase 1a of the County vaccine distribution plan may register for the lottery appointment.

Residents can register online or by phone.

Due to limited vaccine supply, the County says not everyone who signs up will get an appointment right away.

A computer-generated random sample will be drawn from the registry and the County will assign appointments based on how much vaccine is available the following week on Thursdays.

Anyone in the registry by Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. will be included in the random selection of appointments assigned the following week.

The County says the participants will receive an update of their status stating that they have been provided an appointment or will remain on the registry for the following week. 

After receiving the first dose, residents should not sign up for the lottery to get their second dose. They will be contacted about a month after their first dose to schedule their second dose appointment. 

To register for this lottery, click here or call the phone assistance center at 805-543-2444 or 805-781-4280.