No-shows for COVID-19 vaccine appointments in Sarasota County are on the rise – Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from Sarasota County spokeswoman Brianne Grant.

SARASOTA COUNTY As more COVID-19 vaccine appointments open up daily around Sarasota County, public health officials say theyre encountering a recurring issue: no-shows.

Those details emerged at a Sarasota County Commission meeting on Tuesday.

Chuck Henry, a Florida Department of Health officer in Sarasota County, did not say how many people are not showing up to appointments. Henry also did not say what happens to vaccines after people fail to meet their appointments.

The problem appears to be centered on a flaw in the countys registration system that allowed people to book appointments for their spouses or people they care for. Henry said that health officials are finding that someof those people already have received a vaccine elsewhere.

More: Is there a secret wait list at pharmacies for the COVID-19 vaccine? Probably not.

Henry said it could accountfor the declines, but the no-shows are people who confirmed their appointment two or three days in advance and then did not show up.

Currently, only one person can register for an appointment.

That is what bothered me the most, said Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis. Staff is there, volunteers are there based on the number of people, and they dont show up. Its kind of a waste of resources.

Sarasota County spokeswoman Brianne Grant said Wednesday that DOH does not have unused vaccines at the end of the day. Health officials only draw vaccine for confirmed, and on-site individuals.

Grant said that health officials aim to schedule 2,000 doses a day. With the rate of declines, the county is seeing about 1,600 to 1,800 people come through the first-dose clinic a day. The county draws those doses as people arrive for their appointments to avoid having unused vials.

"Right now were seeing about a 30 to 35% rate for notice declines/and no response," Grant said.

The county will expand to a larger second site at Sarasota Square Mall on Wednesday to accommodate needed second doses without impactingfirst doses. The current space will max out at about 2,000 doses per day.

The new site is about150 steps farther inside the mall. Those arrivingfor their appointment should notice variances to directional signage; first-dose clinic signs are blue, and second-dose signs are green.

Notifications and appointmentswill go out Tuesday for DOH-operated first-dose clinicsat Sarasota Square Mall Thursday through Saturday, the county said in a news release. Health officials have scheduled first-dose appointments through Wednesday through account number 181,824.

This may continue to update as the countycontinues to see an increase in declines or no responses from individuals and additional notices are sent out.

Because of limited responses from accounts registered in the system for those over 65 and for frontline health care workers, DOH-Sarasota began sending appointment notifications to account numbers in the enhanced registration system that opened March 15.

Appointments are being offered only to those accounts that meet current eligibility guidelines and have been assigned an account number. DOH-Sarasota continues to contact accounts in the system launched in January to determine if they still require a first-dose appointment.

Those who received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine at the state and city-operated clinic at the Van Wezel will receive their appointment reminder later this week, for their return second-dose clinic Saturday and Sunday.

In case you missed it: Manatee-Sarasota prepare as governor drops COVID vaccine age requirement

As the county works through appointments on its current registration system, health officials have begun to plan for a transition to a hybrid registry or geographic-based systems. That could mean more ZIP code-focused vaccine events.

Longboat Key and Englewood are among the fewcommunities that have yet to have a vaccine popup event.

There has been frustration in the community about where the vaccine has been distributed, said Commissioner Christian Ziegler.

More: Despite optimism for one-dose vaccine, Johnson & Johnson slow to reach Sarasota-Manatee

Ziegler pointed to Newtown, the historic African American community in the northern portion of the city of Sarasota.

Theres been a little frustration with distribution, Ziegler said. But it seems like once we get through the registration, it will give a lot more flexibility.

The Herald-Tribune reported last week that despite improvements, Black residents in Sarasota and Manatee countieslag far behind in vaccinations.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 4.7% of Sarasota residents are Black, but Blacks account for only 1% of the vaccinations receivedso far.

Almost 75% of Sarasota Countys residents 65 and older have been vaccinated.The county already has vaccinated 56% of those 50 and older.

That is the third highest in the state, Henry said.

Timothy Fanning covers Sarasota government for the Herald-Tribune. Reach Timothy at tim.fanning@heraldtribune.comor on Twitter: @timothyjfanning. Support the Herald-Tribune by subscribing today.

As of Tuesday, March 23:

Florida:About 2.8million had been fully vaccinated.

Sarasota County:73,455 had been fully vaccinated.

Manatee County:47,116 had been fully vaccinated.

Waiting in line in Sarasota County:Vaccinations were beingscheduled up to number 181,824.

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No-shows for COVID-19 vaccine appointments in Sarasota County are on the rise - Sarasota Herald-Tribune