CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio — Two Northeast Ohio mothers are continuing their mission to get more coronavirus vaccines into the arms of Ohioans.
Together, the self-proclaimed "Vaccine Queens" have booked more than 1,300 vaccinations for total strangers. Their hope is that their mission spurs change and encourages others to book vaccine appointments for those who need assistance.
3News told you the story of Chagrin Falls mother Marla Zwinggi in February, after her mission to help strangers find vaccination appointments skyrocketed. Now, she has a partner in her quest.
"It was actually thanks to your story," Zwinggi said of finding Stacey Bene. "Stacey's mom was actually watching WKYC and she picked up the phone and called Stacey and said, 'There is a woman doing the exact thing you are.'"
Thus, the "Vaccine Queens," were born, and Zwinggi works along with Bene in Medina to get appointments booked.
"We've had many people burst in tears when we tell them we've found them an appointment," Bene told us. "There are so many stories. Yesterday it was a woman who was just diagnosed with breast cancer days ago and she needed to have her COVID shot before she started chemotherapy or she wouldn't be able to get it."
Bene knows the feeling of wanting so badly to book a vaccine appointment. She has cystic fibrosis and did everything she could to get hers when she was eligible.
The women say Ohio's new centralized appointment site is a tool to help get more Ohioans vaccinated. They refer a lot of people to the site, especially if they are looking for a mass vaccination site appointment.
However, while they believe the centralized site is helpful for younger Ohioans, they say it is not ideal for much of the elderly population looking for a smaller location closer to home.
"It's still every many for themself, whoever has the best computer skills, the better technology skills, the better reflexes to grab an appointment when its open," Bene explained.
The pair also have several new tips for those looking to book a vaccine.
"[For] Giant Eagle, the tip is that once you put in a zip code and you get onto the calendar page, you refresh from there," Bene said. "As you refresh, new stores will come up, and when you click on the stores you'll see what appointments are available. Don't go back to the zip code page, because if you put in so many zip codes, you'll get kicked out of the system.
"Rite Aid posts their new appointments at midnight, 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.; Walmart posts their new appointments at midnight; CVS, I heard, posts their new appointments at 7 a.m."