One of the main COVID-19 vaccine providers in Arlington, Virginia had to cancel about 10,000 appointments for people scheduled to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine because there wasn’t enough supply.
Virginia Hospital Center was operating a vaccine clinic at the Walter Reed Community Center for residents 75 and older, but Friday the Virginia Department of Health announced that going forward, allotments of vaccine will only go to local health districts, meaning the hospital is no longer getting doses and is canceling future first-dose appointments.
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Jeff Gorsky got an email letting him know his appointment for Feb. 3 had been cancelled.
"It’s very disappointing. We're all stuck in the house, I rarely leave my house now, just to go grocery shopping It would have freed me up," Gorsky said.
This change does not affect people in line to receive a second dose through Virginia Hospital Center. Those who got their first dose will have access to the second.
Anyone in Arlington who gets a cancellation notice from VHC will be contacted directly by Arlington County to reschedule as supply becomes available.
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Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said they're working to get more vaccines as quickly as possible.
“We’re slated to receive over 2,700 next week, so we feel progress on getting the additional doses, but obviously we’re concerned about this change that’s going to provide our community, a lot of people with some worry right now,” he said.
He said the county received only 1,400 doses this week and petitioned the state health department for more. The county currently has the infrastructure to give out 2,000 shots per day.
