Waiting game: New vaccine distribution change has Western Tidewater Health District officials on edge

SUFFOLK, Va. — There are questions about how many vaccine doses different Virginia Health Districts will get. 

Officials keep saying there's a limited supply of the shots, but just how limited are we talking?

The owner of Cornerstone Private Practice in Suffolk said he was set to receive vaccine doses next week, but recently learned he won’t be getting a single shot to administer to his patients.

“It is definitely frustrating,” said Dr. Christopher Dowd. “It was a little bit of a tease, we thought, 'Oh we are going to have the vaccine next week, we are ready to go.'”

Executive Director Jennifer Mikell said they jumped through hoops to become a provider. She said they trained staff. 

She said officials with the Western Tidewater Health District told her she would get doses next week, but then called this week to let her know things changed.

“We were told we should not and will not expect to get any vaccines next week,” Mikell said.

So, what changed?

During a tele-press briefing on Friday, Dr. Danny Avula, VDH’s vaccine coordinator, said the change was due to continually increasing demand for the limited supply of the vaccine in Virginia. 

He said the vaccine allocation is now geographically population-based for each health district.

“The Commonwealth's goal is to distribute the vaccine equitably and efficiently,” Avula said. “Every health district, based on its percentage of Virginia's total population, receives a relative percentage of available vaccines. Additionally, we are strongly leaning on local health districts (LHD) to determine the proper allocation for their health district, using any available combination of vaccinators (LHD staff and volunteers, hospitals, pharmacies, individual providers, etc). Therefore, the strategy on the ground for vaccine allocation differs in each LHD.

13News Now also asked Avula how limited vaccines are.

“Getting through Phase 1B is going to take some time, not only in Hampton Roads, but around the Commonwealth,” he said.

The change is already limiting the Western Tidewater Health District.

Out of the 10,000 doses requested for providers and the district, Emergency Manager Will Drewery said the health district will only get 900.

“It puts a significant dent on what we had planned to do,” Drewery explained.

The health district already had 3,000 appointments scheduled.

“Luckily we have been able to partner with some of the healthcare systems to secure some additional doses, so we don’t have to cancel our clinics that we have established,” Drewery said.

He said the district’s hands are tied as officials wait and see how many doses will come each week.

“We are up to the challenge,” Drewery said. “We have been asked to move faster and we are ready to move but we need the vaccine to do it.”

He asks for the community’s patience.

“Our staff is being berated, they are being harassed, they are being threatened with physical violence because the vaccine isn’t available,” Drewery said. “It is not their fault. We are working just as fast as they possibly can to get this done, and we are ready to get it done.”

Cornerstone staff just wants to do its part to end the pandemic.

“Our patients are understandably concerned,” Dowd said. “They see the coverage; they know how serious this is. They want to get vaccinated.”