The event ticket sales platform is far from perfect, but some counties say it’s their best and only option.
In the midst of a disorganized, decentralized, and disappointing coronavirus vaccine rollout in the United States, some states and counties are turning to unlikely tools to get their allotted vaccines out to as many people as possible. In many Florida counties, for instance, Eventbrite has become the only way to sign up for the vaccine. As it has done with pretty much every aspect of this pandemic, the federal government is largely leaving it to individual states to figure out how to distribute vaccines. Each state has had to come up with its own protocol and priority list. And despite having months to prepare for the tremendous undertaking, many health departments still scrambled to figure out some kind of system — seemingly at the last minute — when it came to making sure that people who are eligible for the vaccines can make appointments to get them. Unlike many states that are only giving vaccines to people who work in high-risk professions, Florida allows anyone age 65 and older to get a vaccine, due to a last-minute executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has left the actual logistics of distributing those vaccines to counties and local health systems. “These guys are much more competent to be able to deliver health care services than a state government could ever be,” DeSantis told a CNN reporter on Monday. With millions of suddenly eligible recipients and no statewide distribution plan, county health departments in Florida had to find a way to get as many people signed up as quickly as possible. Enter Eventbrite. Florida’s Brevard County planned to use phone lines for appointments, but the phone system didn’t work, according to The Verge. The “only option,” the county told The Verge, was Eventbrite, a site best known for offering tickets to shows and concerts. Several other Florida counties, including Manatee, Nassau, Collier, Sarasota, Flagler, and Pasco, have decided to do the same. While quickly distributing vaccines to people on the priority list is certainly a good thing, there are some issues here.
