With a shortage of coronavirus vaccine, Kaiser Permanente has canceled more than 5,000 appointments in Santa Clara County.
Brian van der Brug / TNSAbout 5,250 vaccination appointments planned in Santa Clara County last week and this week were canceled by Kaiser Permanente after the hospital system did not receive doses, Kaiser said Tuesday.
The hospital system has canceled about 750 appointments for 75 and older scheduled from last Friday to Sunday, and another 4,500 for 65 and older scheduled for Friday at Santa Clara Medical Center. Kaiser calls the cancellations “a very unfortunate development”.
“We understand the frustration it causes, and we continue to do everything in our power to increase the supply of vaccines, and work in partnership with state, state and federal governments,” Kaiser said.
Kaiser said the appointments were made based on predictions based on previous deliveries of vaccines and ‘state and country guidance’.
Appointments for 75-year-olds and older are scheduled “as soon as possible,” Kaiser said, and the rest will come “when the stock is available. “It added that it first needs a significant increase in vaccine supply to plan for this population.”
The health system did not immediately answer questions about whether it notified those with canceled appointments or when they were expecting the next consignment of vaccines. It is not immediately clear whether patients who canceled their appointments were scheduled for the first or second dose.
The news of the cancellations was first reported by The Los Angeles Times.
Michael Williams is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected]