We are at nearly 15,000 vaccines given in Anaheim and counting!

On Wednesday, Anaheim and the county of Orange launched our region's first super site for vaccines.

The super site is at the Toy Story Parking Area in the Disneyland Resort and is serving 3,000 people a day.

That's on top of 5,000 vaccinations already administered at Anaheim's prior vaccination site at a fire facility in our city.

The launch has gone smoothly, though there have been issues with high interest, limited supply and technology with the county's online appointment system, known as Othena.

Who can be vaccinated?

We urge everyone to get vaccinated when it is their time. Right now, only healthcare workers, first responders and those 65 and older can get the vaccine.

And, even for those, there is a limited supply of vaccines, meaning appointments and shots have to be allocated each day.

We can only vaccinate those who live or work in Orange County. Someone who lives and works in another county cannot be vaccinated in our county.

For more, see Anaheim.net/vaccines.

How are vaccinations done?

By appointment only, with no walk-ups allowed.

You join one of a handful of lines based on your appointment time, then check-in, confirm registration, get the shot and are monitored for 15 minutes, or 30 if you've had a prior reaction to a vaccine.

Waits in line can vary from 15 minutes to 45 minutes. Beyond that, people move through in a matter of minutes. Add additional time for monitoring.

You'll need documentation showing you're eligible. In the case of healthcare workers, that is a professional license, letter on employer letterhead, identifiable workplace badge or business card plus a government identification.

For those 65 and older, you'll need government identification showing your age.

How do I get an appointment?

This is the hard part. Even among those eligible, there are more people than shots available.

The app and website have seen as many as 100 million hits a day, well beyond our county's population of 3.2 million, as people try to get an appointment.

Regretfully, that has brought crashes and downtime. Frustrating, we know. Improvements are made and things get better each day.

We urge patience. Wait for your group's turn before trying to sign up. For those currently eligible, keep trying every few days.

What vaccine is it?

We are administering the Moderna vaccine with a second shot due about 28 days after the first one. Your second shot must be consistent with your first one. There's no mixing of vaccines.

We could see other vaccines as supplies come available.

How much does it cost?

There is no cost to get the vaccine.

Is it safe?

We have seen no serious issues with 15,000 vaccines given so far.

The Moderna and other vaccines have gone through the same clinical trials that any other vaccine or drug does, just in a shorter amount of time because of the urgent need.

If you have individual questions, check with your doctor. We urge as many people to be vaccinated as possible to move beyond the tragedy of coronavirus.

When will more people be able to get the vaccine?

But it's important that we all wait our turn for our designated time to get vaccinated. 

The state and the county have laid out a strict framework for how the vaccine will be given, starting with those who are most at risk.

Right now, we're in Phase 1A. We expect to reach phase 1B, which includes education, emergency management, food and other essential workers, next month.

It's likely the general public will be able to receive the vaccine this summer, or sooner, as we see more companies get authorization for vaccines.

For now, you can sign up online to get notified when you're eligible to download the app to make a vaccine appointment.

And the county is looking for volunteers when we do roll our the public vaccination sites. Sign up here.

You can find more details about the phases of vaccine distribution and when you can get your shot at Anaheim.net/vaccine.