Frustration mounts over confusion with Walmart’s second COVID-19 vaccine

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — “Easy peasy” is how Curt Bigelow described his first vaccine appointment at an Orlando Walmart.

“(They) gave me my injection and handed me my card,” he said.

That card told him exactly when he needs to return for his second dose.

READ: COVID-19 vaccine: Who’s next on the list to receive it?

But Channel 9′s Megan Cruz found out not everyone walked away from their first Walmart appointment with a date and time for their second one.

Bill Osmun was told he should get his second dose on or soon after March 13, but will have to try and make that appointment himself by going back onto Walmart’s website 10 days before.

“They said, ‘We’re not giving out any appointments yet,’” Osmun said.

READ: Orange County has less vaccine waste than other areas in Florida, experts say

Nivea Coutinho was told three days before, and Jimmy Suarez was told four days before. They’re frustrated their second appointments were not locked in like Bigelow’s.

“It should be exactly the same in every Walmart,” Bigelow said.

Now, they’re worried they won’t get an appointment when and where they need one.

READ: Florida reports 7,300 new COVID-19 cases, 165 virus-related deaths

“It doesn’t happen, and the first shot was just a waste,” Osmun said.

A Walmart spokesperson said: “Our pharmacy staff should be scheduling second doses through a manual process when the customer is on-site after receiving the first dose.”

But Coutinho said, “That did not happen. I wish it did.”

READ: Man who lost family heirloom at Walmart 3 weeks ago gets it back after Channel 9 report

Walmart said if a pharmacist mistakenly did not schedule a second appointment for someone, then those people will get an email reminding them when to go online and schedule the second dose.

The problem: Osmun, Coutinho and Suarez are younger than 65 with comorbidities.

Last week, Channel 9 reported how Walmart booked first doses, but the the retailer made a mistake in doing so for Florida.

READ: Florida Walmart stores mistakenly make COVID-19 vaccine appointments for extremely vulnerable people under 65

The governor said only hospitals can give doses to young people deemed extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.

Since then, Walmart has updated its website to only allow people in select groups to book appointments.

Cox Media Group