Extreme weather delays county’s vaccine shipment
As extreme weather across the nation delays shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine, Yuma County officials called for continued patience as the demand for the shot continues to exceed the supply available in Yuma County.
Diana Gomez, director of the Public Health Services District, told the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday that normally vaccine allocations ship out on Monday. Because of the holiday, the county had already planned on a delay. But then the frigid temperatures hit the Midwest and the East Coast, preventing vaccine shipments from going out.
The Health Department does not open registration for vaccinations until it has a supply on hand. It prevents the department from having to cancel appointments, Gomez noted.
However, some partners might have scheduled appointments that will need to be canceled. Gomez asked people to verify with providers if they had been scheduled to receive a vaccine.
San Luis, for example, had scheduled a vaccination clinic on Friday. The event was canceled and rescheduled for March 5. Appointments will remain the same on this new date.
Officials noted the continued community frustration with the vaccine rollout.
Yuma County currently has more than the usual amount of people over 65 who are spending the winter in the area plus a large contingency of law enforcement due to the proximity to the border. In addition, teachers and educators are part of the priority list eligible for inoculation.
Chairman Tony Reyes emphasized the goal is to vaccinate as many people as possible and pointed out vaccinations are part of a federal program, not a local or state program.
Therefore, “they all qualify,” Reyes said, referring to individuals 65 and older, whether they are full-time or winter residents.
“That’s been a big issue for me with the local folks complaining,” he indeed. “They’re from Michigan, they’re from Oregon or Washington or other places. The local folks here feel like ‘What’s going on? We can’t get a vaccine and someone else is getting it who’s not even from here?’”
“Our community is our community and it’s very diverse and that’s what makes our community great,” Gomez said, adding that she understands the frustration. “We have a way to go, and until that supply increases, it trickles down.”
In addition, Yuma County has not experienced the vaccine hesitancy seen in other places. “It’s a good problem to have,” she said.
Gomez acknowledged that the state’s English-only vaccine portal is difficult to navigate. That’s why she’s happy that the Health Department and its partners have simultaneous vaccine efforts underway at multiple sites. This way partners can reach different segments of the population.
“When you’re only getting 3,000 doses, 4,000 doses, and dealing with a population that is not what the normal census data says is right now, it goes very, very slow,” Gomez said.
She explained that the county and its partners have shown their capability to inoculate large numbers of people. “Everyone’s warmed and ready to go. As volume increases, you just increase hours of operation,” she noted.
Supervisors Darren Simmons noted that as people in the Midwest and East Coast are stuck at home, unable to get vaccines, and asked whether those supplies could be redirected to this area. Gomez said that would make sense, except the weather makes it impossible for anything to move around.
The supervisors also asked for continued cooperation with administering the vaccine only to those within the prioritized tiers. “No exceptions, period,” Supervisor Jonathan Lines said.
However, it’s not a blackand-white issue, according to Reyes. “That’s a tougher one,” he said, explaining that once a vaccine has been opened, it needs to be used up completely. “They have to put them in somebody’s arm,” he said. “Everybody needs to understand the purpose of vaccination is to get it out to as many people as possible.”
But he stressed that the system relies on the honor system and shouldn’t be abused. “That’s where the line is drawn, whether you choose to do it or you have to do it.” Gomez agreed that there’s a difference between not wasting vaccine and allowing others to cut in line.
Reyes said he also has a problem with some providers only vaccinating their patients. “It’s going to take forever. You want your partners to know that the doses you give them have to be applied fast.”
Retail pharmacies, such as Walgreens and CVS, are now receiving a direct allocation of vaccine from the federal government. Previously, pharmacies were charged with vaccinating those housed in nursing and long-term care facilities. As that process wraps up, they are vaccinating other eligible members of the population.
In a smaller version of the program, the state is also sending vaccine directly to pharmacies, such as Fry’s and Albertsons. To find a participating pharmacy, go to https://tinyurl.com/1seqoou1.
Gomez noted that allocating vaccine to smaller partners is part of ensuring equitable access and distribution. She called it a “very deliberate partnership to make sure multiple points of administration and accessibility” are available.
All these partners have their own individual registration process with a lot of them relying on technology. Individuals seeking a vaccine need to have an email address and must register online. As these partners help tech-savvy individuals, the Health Department can work with the elderly and those people who don’t have internet or email access. The county is also taking the vaccine directly to those who are housebound. Lines described this effort as going “above and beyond.”
The health director shared more good news. Gomez explained that a new program went live last week in which federally qualified centers like Sunset Health, which has clinics throughout the county, will get direct allocations, above the allocations they receive from the county.
As of now, four centers have been identified in Arizona, although they haven’t been identified, and the program will continue to grow.
As the Yuma County allocations increase, vaccination efforts will continue to expand, possibly to the point of operating a center that runs seven days a week, 12 hours a day.