A Massachusetts urgent care company that administered thousands of first doses of the coronavirus vaccine canceled appointments for individuals’ second shot, noting the state cut off its supply.
CareWell Urgent Care, a Quincy-based company, vaccinated more than 6,000 people at 16 clinics across Massachusetts but has been canceling appointments for an undisclosed number of patients’ second shots.
As required by state guidelines, CareWell noted, first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered within 10 days of the company receiving the supply to avoid wastage.
“However, due to the severely limited inventory and other logistical challenges, the state has not yet been able to replenish our vaccine supply,” the company said in a statement. “We hope to receive a new allocation soon, and are prepared to immediately resume appointments as soon as a new shipment arrives.”
In the meantime, the company is encouraging those who had their appointments for their second doses canceled to sign up for a slot at one of the state-run super vaccination sites. However, tens of thousands of appointments at six large-scale locations went live Thursday morning and were fully booked within hours.
A spokesperson for CareWell told MassLive the company has “been following the news reports about vaccination anxieties” and noted suggestions that “these appointments will be permanently canceled” are premature.
“First, we apologize for any additional stress people have experienced during this trying time. Concern about postponed appointments is completely understandable,” the spokesperson said. “We at CareWell Urgent Care are assured by state officials that they are actively working on our request for second doses for all of our patients.”
Such doses could arrive at CareWell’s clinics as early as next week, according to the spokesperson. The company hopes to keep as many current appointments as planned.
“But should a shipment be delayed, we will reschedule those appointments and bring patients in for their second doses immediately after the new doses arrive,” the spokesperson said.
Smaller vaccination sites may have a limited number of appointments available throughout the week. Retail pharmacies, like CVS and Walgreens, were expected to give out 20,000-plus doses this week. Available appointments are updated daily.
Individuals can also sign up on CareWell’s website to be notified when appointments become available again. The company has locations across the state, from Worcester to Somerville.
The vaccine rollout in Massachusetts has been riddled by mishaps, plagued by a disastrous sign-up process on the state’s appointment-booking website, where residents were left with a crashed portal one week and hours-long virtual waiting rooms another.
Gov. Charlie Baker late last week testified before the Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management and was slammed by state lawmakers for the rocky vaccine rollout. As legislators questioned him on the issues experiences, he placed blame on a limited vaccine supply from the federal government.
“That’s what happens when people are doing something that’s never been done before,” the Republican governor said. “To work through the issues that arose, our administration held regular briefings for legislators, local officials, boards of health and other interested parties, including provider organizations.”
As of Saturday afternoon, 1,280,675 total doses of the vaccine had been administered in Massachusetts, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CareWell spokesperson noted a total of 7,200 first doses were administered at the company’s clinics.
“We are confident everyone who has been scheduled for a second shot will receive it within the recommended interval,” the spokesperson said. “We will continue to communicate our plans as they develop.”
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