PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – Maria Weiser, 70, of Odessa said she didn't want to take a chance. Ahead of COVID-19 appointments opening up for Sunday, she and her husband had two laptops and two cell phones at the ready.

"At 7:59, I'm like thumbs ready and index fingers and everything. And we did four different time slots – you know, one on each device just to make sure it wasn't a matter of the time slot," Wiser said.

Still, when the clock hit 8:00 and they tried to secure their spots, she said, "Boom - everything was gone."

Weiser's neighbors, Michele, 71, and Richard Eisner, 78, said the same thing happened to them.

"Well, 8:00 came, and sure enough, the tickets were available. Then, like ten seconds later, everything was sold out," Michele said.

"We're disappointed, but I had a feeling it was going to be a fool's errand to start with," Richard said.

In Hudson, Virginia Boyle, 83, said she sat at her computer for 35 minutes to make sure she'd be able to claim a time slot at 8:00.

"Soon as it was 8:00, that's when I clicked to get the reservation, and at 8:00 it was still saying, 'sold, sold' all the way down," Boyle said. "I just sat there. I was so discouraged."

According to Megan Carmichael, program manager for community health and performance management with the Florida Dept. of Health in Pasco County, Sunday's time slots sold out in about 30 minutes. Spectrum Bay News 9 heard from a number of people who said the sell out seemed to be almost immediate.

"When you think you're doing the right thing and you're putting all the pieces together correctly and it all falls apart and no one can tell you why, that's the biggest problem –  frustration," said Boyle.

The Pasco health dept. held its first drive-thru vaccination clinic on Thursday and asked for the public's patience.

"We know there's a big demand for vaccine. With 3,500 doses, we have 130,000 people over the 65 and older age group in Pasco County, so it's going to take time," DOH-Pasco Health Officer Mike Napier said Thursday.

Carmichael said slots are going fast because of very high demand. She said the health department understands the public’s frustration and is doing its best to vaccinate the public with the supplies at hand, with staff and volunteers are working around the clock on planning and logistics. It’s suggested people still waiting on a vaccine download the Eventbrite app and like Pasco’s vaccine event to get up-to-date information. Carmichael said vaccines are being distributed by appointment only at the drive-thru events and are not available at health dept. locations.

While those we spoke to were all 65 and older and some said they had conditions that are known to lead to more severe cases of COVID-19, the frustration with not being able to make an appointment also stems from lives put on hold for nearly a year.

"I want to see my grandchildren. We really haven't. It's kind of lonely without," said Michele Eisner.

"This has been so hard on me, as a single woman," said Boyle. "My family - I haven't seen them for over a year. I've had to cancel Christmas, cancel Thanksgiving, cancel so much. This was giving me such hope. It was like, 'Oh, my goodness - we're going to get the light at the end of the tunnel."

"I'd like to be able to travel again. I'd like to be able to see my family without worrying about who's going to infect who," said Weiser. "I get that -- that there's a small amount of doses and you can't just -- boom, that's it. But if you have a limited supply, then triage it properly."

Weiser said she'd like to see more effort be made to make sure those most in need in the 65 and older age group, such as those with pre-existing conditions, get the vaccine first.

For now, the wait continues. Napier said this week DOH-Pasco has been told it will receive more vaccine, but it's unclear when that shipment could arrive. Carmichael said it wasn't clear Friday if more time slots would be made available.