‘We planned for it’: After speedy start, Orlando VA runs out of COVID-19 vaccine

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — It was off to a speedy start.

The first coronavirus vaccines in Central Florida were given out at the Orlando VA in mid-December.

Officials kept the pace for weeks, vaccination their long-term care residents, health care workers and seniors who received care at the VA.

But now, they are completely out of vials.

READ: ‘It hurts’: Some COVID-19 shots being thrown away before use, leaving fewer vaccinated from COVID-19

“We have administered all our present first doses and are waiting on our next allotment,” said Heather Frebe with Orlando VA.

The shipments the VA receive are coming straight from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs chose 37 VA systems for the rollout.

The back-up they are now seeing is a problem at the top, and the team at Orlando VA anticipated this bottleneck in supply.

READ: Florida reports more than 8,700 new COVID-19 cases, 156 virus-related deaths

“We planned for it, and we knew that we would get to a point where … first doses would be limited,” Frebe said.

The VA doesn’t know when their next doses will be delivered, but officials have come up with a system that allows them to put a record in veterans’ charts, and when they receive additional vaccinations, they will get back in touch with them.

The Orlando VA said it has put more than 20,000 shots in arms. That includes first and second doses, but they haven’t been able to add to that number in several days because they’re waiting for more vials.

READ: COVID-19 vaccine to be offered to each long-term care facility resident, worker by end of January, DeSantis says

Cox Media Group