Yuma County says no more COVID-19 vaccines available, at least for now
News 11's Adonis Albright breaks down everything you need to know
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - There's been some confusion surrounding vaccine distribution, particularly how to get a shot if you qualify for phase 1B. But on Thursday, Yuma County announced there are no more vaccines available to the public, at least for now.
In a statement, the county said it's actively working with the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) to get more vaccines. To date, 7,400 doses of the Moderna vaccine have been received in Yuma County. All of those have either been administered or reserved through appointments. So if you haven't already secured an appointment, it's unclear when more slots will open up.
Related: Yuma County out of coronavirus vaccines
The county said it doesn't want to get anyone's hopes up until new vaccines have arrived, because they don't want to promise something they don't currently have.
"It's not that we don't know when [more] vaccine is going to arrive, we have a decent idea. However, what's been the experience across the country is that a lot of places have opened up and allowed people to make appointments months and months out, and what happens is either their vaccine doesn't arrive on time, or severely delayed or they don't get it at all. We don't want to put everybody through that because once you experience that, you have to go find all of those people that made appointments and somehow contact them and tell them they've been canceled. So rather than do that, it's more supply, THEN demand", said Kevin Tunell, the communications director for Yuma County.
Phase 1B vaccinations started earlier this week for education and childcare providers, law enforcement, and adults over the age 75. But the county and health care providers have been inundated with calls, and are unable to meet the demand.
"We've received a huge response to the announcement of the prioritized phase 1b and people are wanting to get their vaccine. We're very happy about that, but you know we don't have as much vaccine as there is demand", said Tunell.
If you don't want to wait to get vaccinated, the county is directing people to the new 24/7 vaccination sites in Maricopa County, the State Farm stadium in Glendale. But you do have to make an appointment online. AZDHS said more slots will open up next Tuesday at 9 AM for appointments in February. Click here to make an appointment.
Next week, Arizona is also opening up a new location at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Today, the department said they were able to vaccinate 217,716 people, 21,612 of which received their second dose. AZDHS director Dr. Cara Christ said these sites will serve as a model for expanding more of these services across Arizona.
Related: Arizona health director video previews vaccine distribution
If you are planning on heading over to one of the sites in Maricopa County, the county said it's important to know that they are only offering the Pfizer vaccine, whereas Yuma County only has Moderna's. The vaccines can not be mixed, so it's very likely you will have to come back to one of the 24/7 sites if you want to receive your second dose. For more information on vaccines and eligibility, click here.
