Hilton Head area COVID vaccine sign-up page doesn’t work for everyone. What you can do
Hilton Head Regional Healthcare’s website was not loading in some web browsers on Wednesday as thousands of local seniors flooded online to sign up for COVID-19 vaccination appointments.
Daisy Burroughs, a spokesperson for Tenet Healthcare, which owns Hilton Head and Coastal Carolina hospitals, recommended that residents try to load the site in different browsers.
Some reporters were able to access the health system’s main web page using Firefox or Google Chrome about noon Wednesday. Microsoft Edge and Safari didn’t work for others.
The health system’s IT team says a high volume of website traffic is part of the problem, according to Burroughs.
The system as of early Wednesday had already received over 10,000 sign-up submissions via its online form, Burroughs said.
In a Tuesday statement, Jeremy Clark, CEO of Hilton Head Regional Healthcare, wrote that the hospitals believed the online system “will be able to handle demand.”
He added that the hospitals were “exploring” the possibility of a call center to also take down residents’ information, similar to Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s system.
During a Zoom meeting Wednesday, Clark told the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce that “we are in the process of standing up a call center.”
“Please be patient,” Clark said. “We will get to everyone as expeditiously and as safely as possible, but we are seeing incredible interest. ... We are working hard to accommodate this.”
If residents can’t immediately access the Hilton Head Regional Healthcare website, they can email HHRH_COVID_VACCINE_INFORMATION@tenethealth.com with the following information: First and last name, phone number, email address, vaccination phase (“1a” or “70+”) and whether they want an appointment at Hilton Head or Coastal Carolina hospitals.
Here’s how the sign-up process works if you are able to access the website http://www.hiltonheadregional.com/ at some point Wednesday, according to Clark:
At the top of that first page, there will be a link called “Drive-Thru Testing & Vaccination Information” (it’s orange).
After clicking the link, seniors will have to scroll down to the “COVID-19 Vaccinations” heading and complete a form.
People will then receive an email from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to register for an appointment in the Vaccine Administration Management System within 24 to 48 hours.
South Carolina’s vaccine supply is still extremely limited. While some appointments may be scheduled as early as Friday or next week in Beaufort County, long waits should be expected.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control abruptly changed course Monday, announcing that people 70 or older could sign up for vaccine appointments beginning Wednesday in a bid to speed up the state’s distribution.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we covered this story
Facts about COVID-19 vaccine distribution in South Carolina are changing rapidly. The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette are trying to publish important information as quickly and accurately as possible. This story may be updated if more information becomes available or if facts become clearer.
This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 1:16 PM.
