Sioux Falls’ favorite ‘Survivor’ contestant wants to help you get a COVID vaccine

One year ago, the 3D printer in Mitchell Olson’s Sioux Falls house was cranking out straps for masks for health care workers nationwide.

One year later, the former “Survivor” contestant has turned his attention to COVID-19 vaccinations in what has become the latest in a series of grassroots efforts to help as needed during the pandemic.

“I think so many of us felt helpless, especially because we were stuck at home,” said Olson, who still mostly quarantines with his husband, Mark.

They ended up supplying free mask straps to more than 23,000 first responders, health care providers, clinic staff, law enforcement and paramedics through help from a donation by POET’s Seeds of Change foundation.

They later turned their 3D printing help to producing nasal swabs for COVID-19 testing.

It was a painstaking process that led to printing 40 swabs every four hours, “which we set alarms and printed throughout the night for weeks,” Olson said.

“This time, I found a way to be helpful from my home while hopefully speeding up the (vaccine) process for an early and reduced sentence … because we just want everybody to be able to get back to normal, and the fastest way is to become vaccinated.”

The two were early advocates for vaccination after studying the messenger RNA approach used by Pfizer and Moderna to develop their vaccine. They “found it to be a leading scientific breakthrough of our generation,” Olson said.

“We also fully believe in modern medicine. We thoroughly support all things science. And we didn’t want anything standing in the way from people receiving their vaccines.”

But, with a small supply and logistical challenges, connecting people on a large scale with a vaccination site soon proved not workable.

The process, though, introduced him to “a wealth of information regarding which pharmacies were vaccinating and when,” he said. “So I started letting my eligible friends and family (know) where and when they could easily obtain a vaccination.”

He could see on Facebook, though, that many people were still having trouble. An offer to help resulted in 100 messages in a day.

“Some of their individual pleas for help were heartbreaking,” Olson said. “But in most cases, they were people who slipped through the cracks and now were having difficulty navigating the online scheduling systems and databases.”

Patients can still register through Avera and Sanford, which continue to receive the state-allocated vaccine supply.

Olson put together his own guide to the retail pharmacies receiving additional vaccine supply from the federal government and posted it to Facebook. He updates regularly, so you can check here.

Here’s what he found out.

Hy-Vee

Near the top of the main page at hy-vee.com,  you’ll click “questions about the COVID-19 vaccine” and then “find appointments.” You can “sign up for updates,” and you will receive emails when appointments become available. When you click on “find appointments,” you might be put into a virtual queue and told how many minutes to wait before getting to the appointment scheduler. This is so the website doesn’t crash.

Once you’re able, enter a ZIP code and choose a city. “You may be told ‘no appointments available.’ This is where the email updates will come in handy,” Olson said. “Many pharmacies are going through first-dose and second-dose waves. Once you get your first dose, you’re automatically scheduled for a second dose, and many of these locations are working with the same size staff they’ve always had. In other words, three weeks after giving the first dose, they need to switch to only giving the second dose.”

Lewis Drug

You can click to learn more about COVID-19 from the top of the main page at lewisdrug.com. Then, you’ll want to click “store locator” to enter a ZIP code and select a location near you. Once you click a store, scroll down until you see “COVID-19 vaccine, schedule an appointment.” Once you’re on that page, at the bottom you can either select Moderna vaccine or Johnson & Johnson.

“When you select a vaccine, it may say ‘no appointments are available this month,’ which isn’t accurate, it just means all of their available vaccines are spoken for,” Olson said.

“Once a new shipment arrives, they will open up more time slots. They don’t have an email reminder, so you’ll need to keep checking the site. Also, their eligibility is basically a yes/no question: Do you qualify for the vaccine in South Dakota? And that’s the only verification you’ll need.”

Not comfortable doing the online approach? Lewis has set up a number you can call: 605-367-2345.

Walmart

Walmart has been steadily opening up appointments all week. Go to walmart.com, scroll to the bottom where it says “COVID-19 vaccine: view latest information,” click on that, and then select “schedule now.” You will need to register and then enter a ZIP code to find the nearest location. They all have different availability. Choose the box that best fits your eligibility status. It will then pop up a screen that says to be prepared to prove your eligibility by supplying a doctor’s note, pay stub, work badge, etc.

“This was the part I questioned them on because some people might not be able to supply a doctor’s note or maybe don’t have a work badge. Everybody I spoke with made it clear that they won’t be asking for verification. Then, reserve your appointment,” Olson said.

Walgreens

Walgreens recently began offering vaccines in South Dakota.

When you go to the main website, walgreens.com, the “schedule vaccine” button is at the top of the page. Start there, then “schedule new appointment,” and then you’ll enter your ZIP code and find a location near you. The next step will be to click on “see if you’re eligible.”

“And it’ll bring you to a page, much like Walmart, where you need to sign up or register by giving some information and creating a password,” Olson said. “This is where you’ll need to prove eligibility. When I spoke with them in person, they mentioned that they don’t police the verification at your appointment. Once you prove eligibility on the website, they ask a few COVID questions, then show you a list of Walgreens near you and how many available appointments each location currently has.”

Keep checking

Keep checking back if there are no appointments at any given location, and ask to add your name to an overflow list, Olson said.

“Many pharmacies were given a large amount of vaccine that needed to be used in a certain time frame or else they would go bad,” he said. “In these cases, many pharmacies created a waiting list that they would call from to get those shots in arms before they expire.”

Road trip option

Feel like taking a ride across the state for your vaccine? There’s a drive-thru event in Fort Thompson from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 25, that’s open to anyone with an ID and insurance card. Call 605-245-1587 or 605-245-1609 to let them know you’re coming, and to ensure there’s enough vaccine. It’s the Moderna vaccine, so you’ll need to return in 28 days.

Just yesterday, Olson secured appointments for five people and has helped nearly 40 so far.

“All these locations can be extremely daunting to navigate through, especially if you’re not exactly computer-savvy,” he said. “The only thing we can do is help each other troubleshoot this process in an effort to get us vaccinated and back to some sense of normalcy!”