A pop-up community clinic that vaccinated more than 600 people in Lafayette will not give a second round of coronavirus injections after Contra Costa County health officials received a complaint alleging that the vaccines were given to people who shouldn’t have received them.
Dr. Rebecca Parish, a Lafayette intern who set up the community clinic at Stanley Middle School on January 16 and 17, confirmed that a doctor who volunteered at the clinic filed complaints to the county health department and the state Medical Council, licensing and medical disciplines.
Parish said he did nothing wrong and that he expects to be cleared of any wrongdoing within a few days.
“Everyone who received the vaccination was in accordance with the Contra Costa County guidelines,” she said.
The county has not confirmed that a complaint has been made against Parish, who runs a private practice called Comprehensive Wellness, or the pop-up clinic.
But officials at the Contra Costa Health Services said they had informed her that vaccines should only be administered to healthcare professionals and people over 75.
State guidelines allow vaccines to be administered to healthcare professionals and anyone over the age of 65, but many counties and agencies have hospitals that have kept those over 75 on the front lines. Contra Costa County is prioritizing those 75 and older.
Authorities said they are reviewing the records of who received the vaccines at the Lafayette clinic and that they will not send a second dose stock to the clinic. Everyone who received the first dose of the vaccine at the Lafayette clinic will receive a second dose at county clinics, health officials said.
“CCHS is not providing vaccines for private medical practices,” said Contra Costa Health Service. “We are focusing on larger distribution locations, especially in our most affected communities.”
Some people under the age of 65 received vaccines, said Parish, when the clinic discovered late Sunday that it had about 100 extra doses. The clinic used the Pfizer vaccine, which is known to have extra vaccine in most vials. The elderly on a waiting list were called first, then some of the volunteers, she said, in an effort to prevent the shots from being dropped.
“The absolute capital sin is to let any vaccine go to waste,” she said, explaining that she followed the county’s procedures for handling the remaining doses.
Parish said she was relieved to learn Friday night that all vaccinees at the clinic would receive their second dose.
“This is just a waste of time,” she said of the complaint, “when we should focus on getting shot in the guns.”
Michael Cabanatuan is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ctuan