BayCare Pauses Scheduling COVID Vaccine Appointments

NOTE: As of May 1, 2021, BayCare has paused all vaccine scheduling due to significant vaccine availability from public and private providers across West Central Florida. BayCare encourages those still seeking a vaccine to visit BayCare.org/coronavirus/vaccines to find a list of providers in the region.
 

BayCare is pausing scheduling appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations due to lack of vaccine supplies. While vaccinations are still scheduled through next week, all existing inventory has been assigned to health care workers and providers from BayCare and the community or those 65 or older who have appointments in coming days.
 
BayCare has placed an order with the state for more first-dose vaccines but has not received confirmation of when they will be shipped. Once confirmation is received, BayCare anticipates reopening scheduling for the vaccine based on state priority guidelines.
 
“We know this is frustrating for everyone,” said Glenn Waters, chief operating officer of  BayCare Health System. “After so many months of fighting this pandemic, many, many of us want to participate in vaccinations to help our community become safer. But the stop-start process will likely continue until the nation’s vaccine supply and administration capacity fully matures.”
 
Vaccine supplies are being distributed by the federal governments to the states, which then distribute them to vaccine administrators.
Since receiving its first vaccine supplies in late December from the state, BayCare has or is scheduled to administer more than 26,000 first-doses of the vaccine. Those served have been according to Florida priority guidelines: BayCare and community health care workers and those 65 and older.
 
Late Wednesday, BayCare received confirmation that a full complement of second dose vaccines was enroute to the system’s hospitals, ensuring the system will be able to provide second doses to those it had administered first doses to last month.