>>> WELL, RIGHT NOW MANY ARE
DEALING WITH THE SAME DAILY
STRUGGLE, TRYING TO FIND A
VACCINE APPOINTMENT FOR
OURSELVES OR A LOVED ONE.
A CHICAGO TEENAGER HAS DECIDED
TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT OVER
WINTER BREAK.
14-YEAR-OLD BENJAMIN KEEGAN OF
CHICAGO SPENT HOURS HELPING HIS
GRANDPARENTS IN FLORIDA BOOK AN
APPOINTMENT, AND HE REALIZED HOW
HARD IT WAS FOR THEM TO NAVIGATE
THE ONLINE SYSTEM.
SO HE JOINED THEIR FACEBOOK
GROUP THAT WAS HELPING.
THEN HE STARTED HIS OWN GROUP
AND IT’S HELPED MORE THAN 250
PEOPLE GET THAT VACCINE ALREADY.
BENJAMIN JOINS ME NOW.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU, SIR.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
YOU FIRST FOUND VACCINES FOR
YOUR GRANDPARENTS IN FLORIDA.
WHAT DID YOU NOTICE IN THAT
PROCESS THAT MADE YOU WANT TO
HELP JUMP IN AND HELP OTHERS?
>> YEAH.
SO THE PROCESS WAS SUPER
COMPLICATED, AND, YOU KNOW, MY
GRANDPARENTS DON’T KNOW HOW TO
REFRESH A PAGE.
MY GRANDFATHER DOESN’T OWN A
CELL PHONE.
FOR THEM TO TRY AND NAVIGATE THE
SYSTEM WHERE TONS OF PEOPLE WITH
VERY FEW SLOTS I KNEW IT WASN’T
GOING TO WORK.
I CARE ABOUT THEM SO MUCH, I
NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY GOT
VACCINATED.
I WENT IN AND HAD FOUR COMPUTERS
OPEN AND AFTER MY THIRD ATTEMPT
ON THE COUNTY’S WEBSITE I GOT
THEM THEIR SHOTS.
NOW I’VE HELPED -- MY GROUP AS
HELPED OVER 425 PEOPLE GET
VACCINATED IN THE SAME FASHION.
>> CLEARLY OUR NUMBERS AREN’T TO
DATE.
I SAID 250.
YOU’RE WELL OVER 400.
>> YEP.
>> YOUR GROUP CHICAGO VACCINE
ANGELS, THAT’S THE FAME OF THENA
GROUP.
BESIDES OPENING A BUNCH OF
COMPUTERS AT THE SAME TIME, IS
THERE MORE TO IT THAN THAT OR IS
THAT THE STRATEGY?
>> YEAH, SO WE’VE GOT TONS OF
VOLUNTEERS GOING AT THE SAME
TIME.
A BUNCH OF PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS
CHECKING DIFFERENT WEBSITES AND
YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE LOOKING
OUT FOR DIFFERENT TIPS FROM THE
LARGER GROUP, THE CHICAGO
VACCINE HUNTERS.
YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY I HAD A
BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT I WAS
LOOKING TO SCHEDULE AND I WAS
ACTUALLY DOING MY MATH HOMEWORK
AND I GOT AN ALERT AND IT SAID,
YOU KNOW, APPOINTMENTS OPEN AT
THIS PRIVATE CLINIC.
I WAS LIKE, OH, MY GOD, LET ME
GET ON THAT.
I SCHEDULED TEN PEOPLE THERE.
YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE LOOKING
FOR TIPS.
REALLY MY BIGGEST PIECE OF
ADVICE I GIVE TO PEOPLE,
FLEXIBILITY.
YOU HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE.
I TESTED SOMEONE THIS MORNING
AND SAID I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT
FOR YOU, IT’S IN FOUR HOURS.
AND THEN TWO PEOPLE RESPONDED
SAYING YES, WE’LL BE THERE.
SOME PEOPLE ARE INFLEXIBLE AND
SAY IT NEEDS TO BE AT THIS
LOCATION AT THIS TIME AND THAT’S
INCREDIBLY HARD FOR ME AND MY
VOLUNTEERS TO SCHEDULE AND
PROBABLY HARD FOR THEM TO
SCHEDULE AS WELL.
I JUST SAY BE FLEXIBLE.
YOU MAY NEED TO LEAVE YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD OR DRIVE FAR TO GET
THE VACCINE BECAUSE IT’S SO
DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN A SLOT.
YOU HAVE TO GET LUCKY.
WHETHER THAT LUCK IS NEXT DOOR
OR 15 MINUTES AWAY, YOU JUST
HAVE TO GO.
>> LAST QUESTION, WHY IS THIS SO
IMPORTANT TO YOU?
>> IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO ME
BECAUSE OUR COUNTRY CAN’T GET
BACK TO NORMAL UNTIL ALL THESE
PEOPLE GET VACCINATED.
IN ADDITION, SOME PEOPLE HAVE
INCREDIBLY HEARTBREAKING
STORIES.
I SPOKE TO A WOMAN YESTERDAY WHO
I GOT VACCINATED WHO SAID SHE’D
BEEN SEEING HER GRANDSON THROUGH
THE LAST YEAR THROUGH A GLASS
DOOR, DRIVING TO HIM EVERY
WEEKEND AND SEEING HIM THROUGH A
GLASS DOOR.
NOW SHE CAN HUG HER GRANDSON
THIS WEEKEND.