Due to an unusually high number of no shows and last minute appointment cancellations, about 51 doses of Moderna vaccine were lost after Wednesday’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Sackville. On the flip side, nearly 600 doses of Moderna were administered at the Vitalité clinic.
Clinic staff started the day prepared to administer 649 doses of Moderna vaccine, but on the day of the clinic, more than 100 no shows and last minute cancellations came in. Health department spokesperson Shawn Berry says, “when staff became aware of the situation, they took immediate action.”
At about 11:30am, Vitalité opened up the clinic to walk-in appointments for anyone seeking a first dose of a Moderna vaccine. Then at around 3:30pm, Vitalité announced via Twitter that anyone looking for a first or second dose could stop by at the clinic. They also announced the clinic would remain open until all doses were used.
In the end, the clinic remained open until 7:23pm, and about half of the doses reserved for cancelled appointments were lost.
“As more and more New Brunswickers are getting vaccinated or have appointments,” says Berry, “there are fewer people available when we post walk-ins.”
Clinic staff made efforts to spread the word, says Berry. “They put out signage to indicate walk-ins were available, and contacted local pharmacies, the hospital, businesses, the university, individuals with upcoming appointments and other organizations,” says Berry.
Berry notified CHMA of developments throughout the day, which CHMA posted to social media and broadcast live.
“This did help bring some walk-ins during the day,” says Berry.
“While some cancellations are to be expected,” says Berry, “Wednesday’s number was unusually high, at about 15% of total appointments.”
When staff reached out to no-shows, they found the most prevalent explanation for not making their appointment was from people who had recently received a vaccination at another walk-in clinic, but failed to cancel their appointment with Vitalité.
“This is a good reminder that if you have had an appointment but were able to get vaccinated sooner elsewhere, please be sure to contact your pharmacy or RHA clinic to cancel the appointment you no longer need,” says Berry. “This will help ensure that someone else in your community gets the protection sooner.”