PHOENIX – Maricopa County Public Health sent an enigmatic tweet on Thursday afternoon, suggesting that those who received their first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at one of their five POD sites, may not be able to receive their second dose in time or even in the same place.
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The tweet said they would notify people when the supply was available, but even suggested that those seeking a second dose start looking for another appointment.
1/2 As possible, we are making notifications for availability of the 2nd dose schedule based on the date of the 1st dose to those evaluated in our regional PODs. It is a slow process, but as the vaccine supply increases and we can add more appts./locations, more will be notified. https://t.co/1mvPiq8O5B
– Public Health (@Maricopahealth) January 21, 2021
This scared us, as we are sure many of you do, so we contacted the county authorities for further clarification.
Here is Maricopa County Health’s statement about our questions:
Maricopa County is opening more consultations and vaccination opportunities as the vaccine becomes available. Maricopa County is working with our healthcare partners, retail pharmacies and other vaccinators to establish vaccination events and access points to provide second doses to individuals who cannot obtain their second dose in PODs. As soon as there is more vaccine, we will be able to open more consultations, in addition to what is being offered elsewhere in the community. Those who received the first dose will be notified when the vaccine is available to schedule the second dose. If you have been vaccinated as part of Phase 1A or 1B at a regional POD location in Maricopa County (not State Farm Stadium) and need to schedule your second dose, but have not yet been contacted, complete this form. We are actively working with partners to expand 2nd dose vaccination opportunities as more vaccines become available. Note: If you have been vaccinated at State Farm Stadium, check the AZDHS website for the second dose notification process.
Although it is recommended that you take your second dose where you received the first, we know that it can be difficult if appointments are limited or are not available in those locations. The most important thing is that you schedule your second dose at a location that provides the same vaccine manufacturer as your first dose [All of the county regional PODs and 24/7 ADHS State Farm POD use Pfizer vaccine]. At your first dose visit, you should receive a vaccination card that informs you of the type of vaccine you received and the date it was administered. Depending on the type of vaccine, you will need a second dose 21 days (Pfizer) to 28 days (Modern) later. Your second dose should be the same vaccine.
According to the CDC / ACIP guidelines, there is no maximum interval between the first and the second dose for any vaccine. It is recommended that you receive the second dose of the vaccine 21 days (Pfizer) to 28 days (Modern) after the first dose. However, due to the supply and demand for the vaccine for the first consultations, we know that this is not always possible. Receiving the second dose is important to obtain all the protective benefits of the vaccine, so schedule it as soon as you can. Check schedule availability on our vaccine locations page or use the ADHS Vaccine Finder.
We have information for those who received their vaccines at Maricopa County POD centers. Maricopa County is communicating with the state (registration system) and we will contact those who have not booked their 2na dose as the vaccine becomes available.