Hospitals facing vaccine delivery problems and finding workarounds

Distributing the coronavirus vaccine is at times slow and messy, with some hospitals getting more doses than they need and others facing shortages.

975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine supposed to arrive at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham are a week behind.

Hospital workers began getting their first dose Dec. 18.

The delay comes just before their second dose.

“We are looking to make sure we have adequate supplies for dose two. We’re not quite firm on the supply side yet,” said Dr. Mark Hallett, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President at PeaceHealth.

PeaceHealth officials say the first and second doses are identical, so with some shuffling, the shipping delay will not affect the vaccination schedule.

But it’s an example of the kind of problem hospitals are facing with receiving the vaccines.

“It’s a little bit clunky at this point. Sometimes we get advice that a shipment has been delayed and then it shows up in two days,” Dr. Hallett said.

On Monday, Cassie Sauer, the head of the Washington State Hospital Association, said shipping estimates are so unreliable, most hospitals aren’t scheduling vaccination clinics until they have the vials in the freezer.

In a New Year’s Eve scramble, Sauer said MultiCare sent a hundred doses to Capital Medical Center to cover for a clinic scheduled the next morning.

“That’s happening all around the state,” Sauer said.

Ocean Beach Hospital received extra doses. Five hundred went to CHI Franciscan, which used them all.

CHI Franciscan then sent 700 doses of Moderna vaccine to Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee.

The hospital association says while medical centers in urban areas don’t have enough doses, some rural facilities have more than they need for Phase 1-A.

Ferry County Memorial Hospital got some extra doses from Tonasket.

After vaccinating almost all the people in 1-A, Ferry County hospital leaders now wait for state guidance on who gets it next.

Chief Nursing Officer Cindy Chase said she’s getting questions from the community.

“The want to know, ‘Why aren’t you using your vaccines, we know you have them.’ That’s the hardest part, what do we tell them?”

Cox Media Group