CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Chesapeake Health Department leaders said they are frustrated after finding out that the city is getting 100 fewer doses of the vaccine than the week before.
Director Dr. Nancy Welch said she doesn’t know the reasoning behind the change. She said they previously received 2,900 vaccine doses each week from the Virginia Department of Health. It’s now down to 2,800 doses.
“That’s nothing. That’s nothing,” Dr. Welch said.
Chesapeake Health Department Director Dr. Nancy Welch said she has the staff and capability to vaccinate more people, but she doesn’t have enough supply of the vaccine.
“It’s hard to practice what we believe when we don’t have the resources,” Dr. Welch explained.
Welch said a big part of the problem was large hospital systems across the state received tens of thousands of vaccine doses when the rollout first happened. She said some of those doses sat on shelves for future use, which drained the supply for the rest of the state.
“We are working right now very closely with the state who is trying to get it all that off the shelves and distributed and we are making a strong case and a lot of it needs to come to us," she explained.
The low and limited supply of doses creates its own set of challenges. Welch calls that the most frustrating part.
“It’s difficult to do any kind of a mass vaccinations with that small of a number and trying to hit all of these targets," Welch explained.
Welch and health leaders will work with community partners to distribute the 2,800 vaccine doses each week. She said when more doses become available, health leaders are ready to roll it out!
Chesapeake Mayor Rick West also called the vaccination process frustrating. He said his top priority is making sure people who want to be vaccinated in Chesapeake can get a shot.
“It’s extremely frustrating. This whole process, distribution of this vaccine at least for Chesapeake. It has been a disaster," West said.
He said the lower supply of vaccine doses from the Virginia Department of Health is limiting cities and local health departments from speeding up the COVID-19 vaccination process.
“The way our state has chosen has not worked well. I know people who are going to North Carolina to get smoother and faster service,” West said. “We are not part of the decision-making process, unfortunately. I think that is probably one of the problems.”