Thousands of people backlogged to receive COVID-19 vaccine in Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County's top health official admitted on Thursday there is a backlog of thousands of people who want to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and it could take months before they even get an appointment.
CONTACT 5 - FINALLY ABLE TOASK THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTHDEPARTMENT IN PALM BEACHCOUNTY QUESTIONS ABOUT THEROLL OUT OF THE COVID 19VACCINE.
THIS COMES ASFRUSTRATION MOUNTS FOR SOMESENIORSÃWHO HAVE ENCOUNTEREDBUSY SIGNALS AND EMAIL ISSUESÃTRYING TO GET ANAPPOINTMENT.
CONTACT 5INVESTIGATOR MICHAEL BUCZYNERCAUGHT UP WITH THE DIRECTOREARLIER TODAY AT A MEETINGWITH STATE LAWMAKERS.SOT 11:27:02:“MY OFFICE HASBEEN RECEIVING A LOT OF CALL, ALOT OF CALLS BY A LOT OF ANGRYSENIORS WHO ARE JUST NOT SUREWHERE TO START, WHERE TOBEGIN” STATE LAWMAKERSSHARING STORIES OFFRUSTRATION..
BUTT SOT11:48:08:“YOUR WEBSITE AS YOUCALL ITÃOR ITS ACTUALLY ANEMAILÃIS ABOUT THE MOSTMISLEADING WEBSITE, EMAILADDRESS I COULD EVER FIGUREOUT MYSELF, LET ALONESENIORS” AND VOICING CONCERNABOUT THE ROLLOUT OF THE COVID19 VACCINEÃTO DOCTOR ALINAALONSO - THE DIRECTOR OF THEDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH - IN PALMBEACH COUNTY.
SOT 11:30:11:SLOSBERG:“WHEN CAN WEREALISTICALLY LET THEM KNOWTHEYRESPONSE OR AN APPOINTMENT INX AMOUNT OF TIME” ALONSO:“RIGHT NOW, THE EXPECTATIONITMONTHS BEFORE THEY ACTUALLYGET AN APPOINTMENT.
WEPROBABLY HAVE THOUSANDS OFPEOPLE IN THAT QUE RIGHT NOW”DOCTOR ALONSO TOLD THE LOCALDELEGATION OF STATE LAWMAKERSTHAT SHE UNDERSTANDS THEFRUSTRATION SOME SENIORS AREEXPERIENCING.
SHE ALSO PLEADEDWITH THEM SEVERAL TIMES - TOGET MORE VACCINES TO PALMBEACH COUNTYÃTELLING THEMSHE25,000 DOSES TO DATE.
SOT11:32:29:“I HAVE 4,500 DOSESTHAT HOPEFULLY WILL COME INNEXT MONDAY TO TAKE CARE OFALL OF THESE PEOPLE IN QUE”BUTT SOT 11:32:43:“WE NEED TOGET MORE VACCINE GIVEN TO USBECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A LARGESENIOR POPULATION AND BECAUSEWE HAVE THE CAPACITY HERE INPALM BEACH COUNTY TO GIVE OUTAND BE ABLE TO VACCINATE MOREPEOPLE IF WE GET THE VACCINE”SINCE MONDAYÃCONTACT 5 HASREQUESTED AN INTERVIEW WITHDOCTOR ALONSO TO ASK HERQUESTIONS ABOUT THE VACCINEROLLOUT - AND THE CHALLENGESOF TRYING TO GET ANAPPOINTMENT SHARED WITH US BYMANY SENIORS.
IN THE MIDDLE OFTHIS PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS..
WECAUGHT UP WITH DOCTOR ALONSOAS SHE LEFT THE MEETING AHEADOF COUNTY NEWS CONFERENCE..SOT 12:08:38:“THERE ARE A LOTOF SENIORS AS YOU JUST HEARDFROM STATE LAW MAKERS THAT AREBEYOND FRUSTRATED THAT THEYCANT GET AN APPOINTMENT.
THEYSAY THERETHAT THEY FIND VERY DIFFICULTTO USE, THERETHAT CRASHED, WHATMESSAGE TO THE SENIORS DRALONSO”“TO USE THAT EMAILSITE, HAVE A FRIEND THAT CANHELP THEM.
ITS VERY IMPORTANTTHAT THEY CONTINUE TO USE THATSO WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE OURAPPOINTMENTS QUEUED IN ORDER”DOCTOR ALONSO TOLD LAWMAKERSSHESEPARATE WEB-BASED DIRECTAPPOINTMENT SYSTEM IN PLACE..BUT GAVE NO TIMEFRAME OF WHENTHAT WILL BE READY.
BUTT SOT12:09:28:“WHY WASNWEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE COULD GOAND SIGN-UP FORAPPOINTMENTS?... I UNDERSTANDTHROUGH YOUR COMMUNICATIONSDEPARTMENT THAT THERESOMETHING BEING TESTED AT THEMOMENT”“WEDIFFERENT WAY OF DOING ITBESIDESÃBECAUSE OF THETROUBLE WE HAD.
WE DIDNWE WERE GOING TO HAVE THATPROBLEM” YOU DIDNTHERE TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THEPHONES LINES OR THE WEBSITE”“NOPE” IN PALM BEACH COUNTY &MBÃWPTV, NEWS CHANNEL 5”DOCTOR ALONSO JOINED OTHERCOUNTY LEADERS THIS AFTERNOONTO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THEROLLOUT OF THE COVID-19VACCINE.
MAYOR DAVE KERNERTODAY STRESSING THAT THEVACCINE SUPPLY IN PALM BEACHCOUNTY IS LIMITED.
DOCTORALONSO ALSO SAYING THEY'RETRYING TO MAKE THINGS BETTERAND ASKING EVERYONE TO BEPATI
