How do you get a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.

How do you get a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.

The COVID-19 vaccines are here, but if it's your turn to get vaccinated, how are you supposed to sign up.

The answers vary by place, so NPR created a tool to help you understand how things work in your state and connect you with local resources.

Please note that the information in this tool is subject to change, as states roll out new processes and new providers get the vaccine.

As you try to navigate the vaccine system in your state, be aware that there are multiple points of entry for those seeking a vaccine.

Although the federal government pays for and distributes the vaccines, it's up to state and local health departments and the private sector — hospitals, clinics and pharmacies — to actually schedule and give out the shots.

So when it's your turn to get signed up for a shot, you may need to look for available appointments in all three of these separate streams, depending on your state.

Look into which pharmacy chains in your state are giving out vaccines by checking the CDC's website.

If you're feeling exasperated, remember that because of the patchwork nature of the system, local health departments don't have all the answers.

"They don't universally have access to the systems that tell you where vaccine is within their jurisdiction," explains Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs at the National Association of County and City Health Officials.

In addition, state and local health departments, as well as select medical centers and pharmacies, are giving out shots in many places.

In addition, state and local health departments, as well as select medical centers and pharmacies, are giving out shots in many places.

From the current state of affairs, it seems obvious that health officials should have realized that once vaccines were out, they were going to need an effective and equitable way to bring people in to get their shots.

The vaccine distribution patchwork is not easy to fix because it's a reflection of the patchwork health care system, a mix of public providers like health departments and private providers like hospitals and clinics that don't always play nice together.

A central promise of the Biden administration was to offer more assertive federal leadership over the COVID-19 public health response

With a promising production outlook and "potentially another vaccine coming on, I feel like we're in a good place — I do."