(WXYZ) – Due to an unexpected shortage of second-dose vaccine, Beaumont Health cancels 1,884 appointments.
Beaumont learned on Friday of an unexpected reduction in the allocation of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines from the state of Michigan, which forced the health care system to cancel the second dose appointments scheduled for Thursday.
The health system says it is working to automatically reschedule all canceled appointments to one week later at the same time and on the same day of the week.
Beaumont says he wants more clarity on the state’s second doses.
While three weeks is the typical time between the two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the vaccine remains effective when patients receive the second dose up to six weeks after the first dose.
Most patients will receive an email if their appointment is canceled, but Beaumont will also try to contact other patients without an email address.
In addition, the healthcare system will no longer be able to open Pfizer vaccine appointments against the Beaumont service center until additional vaccine has been received. Beaumont is willing to administer 50,000 doses a week, but this week it will only be able to do 2,200, which is all the state provided in its recent allocation, the health system said.
Beaumont says he is working diligently to get more vaccine from the state to give the necessary second dose in a timely manner.
‘We are so disappointed that we had to cancel these appointments. Our teams worked with the state around the clock and all weekend to try to secure the second dose of vaccine we requested, ‘Beaumont Health chief operating officer Carolyn Wilson said in a press release. “We remain committed to vaccinating patients as soon as possible as soon as we receive our administered doses of vaccine.”
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