Resolving the confusion in elderly centers after the first dose vaccines run out

JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – After the demand for vaccines at Jacksonville’s two senior centers increased dramatically on Thursday afternoon, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry announced on Thursday night that the city’s supply of first doses had run out .

But a line of frustrated seniors outside the Mandarin Senior Center on Friday morning said they had not received the updated message.

Many held up a printed statement from the city that was released earlier on Thursday, saying the site would be open for the first doses until 6pm on Friday.

But after sending out this release, which included removing the birth month requirement for vaccines on Thursday, the city learned later in the day that demand had skyrocketed in the elderly centers and all the first available doses of the city’s lot. have been distributed.

The mayor tweeted the updated information, which was released by the local media, but the elderly people who showed up on Friday morning say they never saw the new information and were frustrated and disappointed.

Tina Alves was unable to be vaccinated on Friday.

“This is ridiculous. I have been trying to get mine for two weeks,” said Tina Alves. “My husband had the vaccine yesterday and they said I could come today. They are telling me that they have no vaccine – that they were turned off yesterday. That it’s like a game. This is not a good thing. This place is not working. “

The city acknowledged that an updated press release was not sent through the same mailing list network on Thursday, although the media received the updated information to report. The city sent the statement by e-mail on Friday.

If you received your first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at one of the elderly centers, you can receive your second dose at the same location 21 days later. Otherwise, the two elderly centers are now closed to new patients.

The city says the second doses will start on January 29. The city has reserved enough vaccines to cover all second doses.

The elderly must go to the same elderly center where they received the first vaccine to receive the second dose. When they received the first dose, the elderly were able to choose text messages or e-mail for reminders. The city asked you to look at them and return to the second dose as instructed.

Curry announced Thursday morning that the city was waiving the birth month requirement. Anyone aged 65 or over, frontline health workers and first responders could try to get one of the vaccines that arrive first, from 11am to 7pm on Thursday, before the first doses are exhausted.

The city received only 11,000 doses of the vaccine assigned to the two locations at the Mandarin Senior Center and Lane Wiley Senior Center at the Westside. The city managed to deliver a limited number of kicks a day, about 1,700, and hit its goal every day.

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Tony Labello said he was disappointed that he could not be vaccinated at the senior center on Friday.

“I tried it on Publix. I stayed at the computer for two hours. I never received an answer. I said to wait and all the availabilities were taken. I don’t know how to do it. I am 84 years old and I need to serve you, ”said Labello.

The city told News4Jax that it would be working to continue vaccinations at the elderly site in some way in the future, but the state is limiting where vaccines can go and senior centers are not on the list. Curry does not lose hope of getting more vaccines for the city.

For now, the state of Florida is taking over the vaccine distribution in the city. The new vaccination site is at the Regency Square Mall. Call 1-866-200-3762 to arrange a meeting at that location.

At the Prime Osborn Convention Center, where the state has administered vaccines for weeks, patients were relieved on Friday to be vaccinated with their first dose – despite having to stay in the rain while they waited.

“It took just 10 minutes to get the real vaccine and then the 15 minutes you have to wait,” said Karen Stacey, whose mother was vaccinated on Friday. “I know that a lot of people have been having problems (getting appointments), but I haven’t had any problems. I managed to make an appointment in 5 minutes. “

The location is closing for the first few doses later in the day Friday and operations are shifting to the Regency Square Mall.

Catherine Stark joined those in line at the convention center on Friday to be one of the last groups to have the first injection of the vaccine at the scene.

“I feel very happy to be honest with you,” Stark said. “I have been a medical provider for over 35 years in the dental field and we are digging in the COVID fields every day, so yes, sir, I am very happy.

Second dose doses will be administered at Prime Osborn starting on Monday.

The vaccine administered at Prime Osborn was the Modern vaccine, which requires the patient to wait 28 days before receiving a second dose. The vaccine administered in the city’s elderly centers was the Pfizer vaccine, which requires a second dose 21 days after the first.

Health officials say vaccines should not be mixed and matched and that all patients should receive two doses of the same vaccine.