(AP Photo / Terry Tang)
PHOENIX – Arizona’s top health official said Friday that people who do not have an appointment to get the coronavirus vaccine may still have ways to end up with the shot.
The director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, dr. Cara Christ, said at a press conference that the clinical team at the vaccination site should take on the task of vaccinating someone who is in the car with someone who does have an appointment.
Aspects that fall into the decision include the number of exhibits on a particular day and if the person in the vehicle is a caretaker of the individual scheduled for the shot, saying that the person may still endanger others.
People in the car can also receive the shot if they have an appointment but are not scheduled for the day, as long as there are enough staff and the vaccine is available.
It said according to Christ that people can only go to the vaccination site twice instead of four times.
“They take the clinical judgment on a case-by-case basis to make sure we get so many vaccines, that no one is wasted and that we try to be as customer service friendly as possible,” Christ said.
Those in Priority Phase 1B or Phase 1A are eligible for the coronavirus vaccine at state-owned facilities, including State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
This includes people in health care, emergency services, long-term care staff and residents, along with education and child care workers, protection service professions and adults aged 75 and over.
The state’s age cut – off will be reduced to 65 on Tuesday, but vaccination sites run by some provinces, including Maricopa County, will remain at the current 75-year age.
More than 232,000 people were vaccinated across the country, according to the AZDHS report on Friday, with more than 600,000 vaccinations ordered.