Even those now eligible to get COVID-19 vaccine will still have to wait.
The state of Arizona opened up vaccinations for COVID-19 to all residents 65 years and up on Jan. 19. Spectrum Healthcare was set to be the main point of distribution of doses of the Moderna vaccine that Yavapai County has received for the general population.
But by Thursday, Jan. 21, Spectrum had already halted sign-ups for vaccinations, facing supply issues.
“Until Spectrum Healthcare receives further commitments of vaccine, they have paused their online appointment portal,” Spectrum announced in a press release. “Anyone who already has a confirmed appointment will receive the vaccine as scheduled.”
According to Yavapai County Community Health Services, the county received 12,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine on Tuesday, Jan. 19, after the holiday weekend, and has begun stepping up vaccinations. Spectrum hopes to vaccinate 500 people a day at their Cottonwood locations — Spectrum Healthcare at 8 E. Cottonwood St, as well as Verde Valley Christian Church at 406 S. 6th St. — and an additional 1,000 per day in Prescott. At that rate, the county will be out of vaccines in just eight days.
Vaccine demand has been high so far, with both Spectrum and the county inundated with people attempting to sign up.
“Yesterday our phone system was absolutely down,” YCCHS Public Information Officer Terri Farneti said on Thursday. “It was so overwhelmed it just broke our system.”
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and under- standing as we set-up the Vaccination Stations across Yavapai County,” Spectrum CEO April Rhodes said in a press release. “Although there have been some temporary issues with our website being overwhelmed with requests, those issues are easily addressed. Our main concern is securing more doses of vaccine to meet the needs of our county. Until those doses have been secured, we have had to temporarily suspend scheduling any new vaccination appointments.”
As the vaccine pool opens up to the elderly, the efforts to vaccinate other members of the priority groups designated as Phases 1A and 1B continue. Both Clarkdale-Jerome School District and Mingus Union High School District received vaccines for their teachers and staff at the Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District office on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
“It’s a step in the right direction to allow our employees to feel more comfortable being in front of kids and teaching kids,” CJSD Superintendent Danny Brown said.
Vaccinations for some other priority groups have stalled some- what. While assisted living facilities are supposed to be designated 1A, receiving the vaccine right after health care workers and skilled nursing facilities, some in the Verde Valley still have not been vaccinated. Assisted living facilities are being vaccinated through national chain pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, which have been slower moving in the area than the county and providers receiving the vaccine through the county.
“After much complaining, we finally got a date,” Dione Cozens of Page Springs Living and Agape Terrace Assisted Living wrote in an email. After originally expecting the vaccine early in January, Cozens said that her staff and residents now expect to be vaccinated on Feb. 1.
“Our priority is to vaccinate our health care professionals, teachers, essential front-line workers and people over 65,” Rhodes said. “How fast we are able to accomplish this will depend upon our vaccine allocations from the state and federal government. To date, approximately 15,000 people are scheduled for their vaccination.”
Maggie’s Hospice in Prescott is hoping to get involved in assisting in vaccinations in the Quad Cities area as well as the Verde Valley, but according to Hospice Program Director Michael Berlowe, they are still waiting on receiving more doses of the vaccine before being able to assist.
“I’ve already gone through the process of ordering the vaccine but we haven’t received it yet,” Berlowe said.
Fry’s and Safeway are also expecting to begin vaccinations soon, though the county was not able to provide information about when they would be receiving the vaccine. Fry’s did not respond to request for comment.
As the vaccinations slowly ramp up, the Verde Valley has experienced a particularly deadly period of dealing with the virus. While new cases are declining somewhat — there were 349 in the Verde Valley between Friday, Jan. 15 and Friday, Jan. 22, below the early January peak of 590 per week — the high spread of previous weeks manifested in 11 Verde Valley residents dying of the virus in the same time period. The total deaths in the Verde Valley from the pandemic crossed 100 this week, for a total of 101.
Health care leaders repeatedly stress that despite the vaccinations, COVID-19 is far from over. The hospitals remain crowded with COVID-19 patients, and the same kinds of hygiene, masking and social distancing strategies that were required earlier remain necessary.
“Until we get a high percentage of our community that are vaccinated, we won’t see those numbers begin to decline,” Northern Arizona Healthcare CEO Flo Spyrow told reporters on Monday. “Until that time we are encouraging and would ask you to help us encouraging the communities to mask, to social distance, to practice good hand washing, etc., because even though we’re vaccinated, there’s a potential you could be an asymptomatic carrier.”
