People who have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer or Moderna still need one more shot. As wait times get longer, the frustration is setting in for some.

David Propp, 75, says he got lucky with a same-day vaccination appointment two days ago at Family Centers Healthcare.

He says he still hasn't been able to schedule his second dose through the Vaccine Access Management System, or VAMS.

"They only give you one day, a month from now, and those days are already filled," Propp said.

Phyllis Menell got her first shot at Community Health Center in Stamford. Her second appointment also had to be booked through VAMS.

"I was able to find one, but it was for 7 1/2 weeks after my first one," Menell said. She eventually set an appointment for a second shot four weeks after her first one at her local hospital.

"I left it on hold for an hour before I got someone, so you have to be persistent," she said.

Health care workers say the VAMS portal doesn't differentiate between brands of the vaccine, or between first- and second-dose appointments. They say they hope the process will be smoothed out, but in the meantime, seniors can dial 211 for help from the state with scheduling.

"They have their own platform to help people schedule appointments, so I think that's a good resource if they can't get into VAMS," said Heather Dawon, vaccination coordinator with Family Centers Healthcare. "I know that's been very stressful for a lot of people that have come in. So, I think that would be the biggest thing especially for the elderly if they're having problems scheduling."

Family Centers plans to open a specialty second-dose clinic next month. Appointments will still need to be made through the VAMS portal.

Yale New Haven Health uses its own records system instead of VAMS for vaccination appointments. Representatives say their policy is to get patients scheduled for their second dose before they leave, after receiving the first one.