MELBOURNE, Fla. – A Brevard County couple are two of the 1,100 patients OMNI Healthcare said are being rescheduled to get their COVID-19 shot because the supply isn’t available yet.
Lisle, 86, and Julia Chandler, 83, said they were supposed to get the vaccine Friday.
“They were calling people because the shipment of the vaccine did not come in,” Lisle Chandler said about learning his appointment was not happening Friday.
OMNI has said it books appointments before its next round of vaccines are on the way.
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On the contrary, the Department of Health and Health First have said they will not schedule new appointments without more vaccines.
At the DOH site in Viera, the county said patients are now even getting their vaccines earlier than their original appointment dates.
OMNI’s president said he has about 10,000 scheduled appointments.
The facility so far has received one shipment of almost 2,000 vaccines, and they were all used last weekend.
Dr. Craig Deligdish said he will not change OMNI’s procedure of booking appointments before shipments are delivered.
“We’ve been in daily communication with the governor’s office and we have expectation that we will have vaccine in two to three weeks so we are very comfortable with making appointments for two to three weeks from now,” Deligdish said. The Chandlers said they now have their doubts.
They said they rescheduled their shots for Jan. 25.
“Might be a good idea because you wouldn’t be in this position,” Julia Chandler suggested no longer booking appointments before vaccine delivery.
Deligdish said nearly all of the 1,100 rescheduled patients chose to reschedule rather than completely cancel their appointment.
“The patients who have rescheduled have rescheduled at their own request, but the fact of the matter is - we are at the mercy of the state. Without vaccine, we can’t administer it,” Deligdish said.