SUFFOLK, Va. — COVID vaccine shipments are shrinking in some places across the Commonwealth. The Western Tidewater Health District even had to cancel two scheduled clinics this week, leaving many people without appointments, and with a lot of questions.
Community members were commenting on Isle of Wight County’s social media post on Monday about the cancellations. Some commenters wondered when they would get an appointment, while several were trying to schedule a second dose.
“I received my first dose, and I have my second dose scheduled on 19th of February,” said Kristina Castner. Castner lives and works in Isle of Wight. She said she’s skeptical about getting her second shot after learning some of her co-workers might not be getting theirs as planned.
“Approximately 50 percent of the practice who received their first dose and had a second appointment scheduled, had them canceled,” Castner said.
That shouldn’t be happening, according to Western Tidewater Health District officials. They were forced to cancel appointments this week but said none of those appointments was for a second dose.
Emergency Manager Will Drewery said second-dose cancellations could be due to a computer glitch in the scheduling system. He said anyone who thinks their second appointment was canceled should log back on and try to reschedule the appointment. They can also call the district for help.
So, what was canceled? Drewery said they had to scrap first-dose appointments at their Workforce Development Center in Franklin and Smithfield Center in Smithfield. He said this doesn’t impact second-dose appointments scheduled at those places, or any appointments -- first or second dose -- scheduled at health department locations.
“Our priority right now is the first dose for 65 and older and the second doses that we had promised to folks,” Drewery said.
Drewery said the health district received 900 first-dose shots last week, but 800 this week. Fortunately, second doses come from a separate allocation.
District officials said vaccine allocation is determined at the state level and is not controlled by and of the health district’s staff.
“It’s not just the public that is frustrated with it,” Drewery said. “We are frustrated too, because we know we can do much more.”
He didn’t have an exact number of appointments canceled at the workforce center but said each facility was scheduling about 500 people. He said those people will have to keep checking the system for available appointments.
“We can’t determine who signed up when,” Drewery said. “The system doesn’t show us that. So, I would just encourage those folks who already have access to keep continuing to check. As soon as we have the ability to do more, we will do more”
The district could keep getting about 800 doses a week for the next four to six weeks, but Drewry said they are working to get more.
Citizens 65 and older who are unable to obtain vaccine through their healthcare provider or a pharmacy are asked to call one of the following numbers to make an appointment:
- Suffolk (757) 514-4781
- Isle of Wight (757) 279-3070
- Franklin (757) 562-6109
- Southampton (757) 653-3040