SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Appointments at COVID-19 vaccine clinics are booking up so fast, people have expressed worries about not finding an opening for a second dose.
Pfizer’s vaccine requires a second dose about three weeks later. Moderna’s is required about four weeks later.
Different vaccination operations have different protocols for scheduling second appointments, but overall, organizers tell NewsChannel 9 that people whose time has come for their second shot won’t have to compete with people looking for the first dose.
At Kinney Drugs’ 75 pharmacies across New York, pharmacists will book customers’ second appointment on the spot after the first dose.
It’s similar at the New York State Fairgrounds, where second appointments are automatically generated by a computer and written a card for each person immediately following their first dose, members of the governor’s Coronavirus Task Force tell NewsChannel 9.
The state admits an off-chance that a few people may have not been informed of their second dose appointment on the first day of vaccines at the State Fairgrounds. Since the appointments are auto-generated, they’re made. Impacted patients will receive either a follow-up phone call, text message, or email with that second appointment date.
Facilities must record and schedule the second dose. They are responsible for giving the second dose to the same customers.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo
Second doses are scheduled differently for people who got vaccinated at the Onondaga County War Memorial. Because the second doses are given three weeks later for the Pfizer version and four weeks later for Moderna, the second doses haven’t been given yet.
According to the Onondaga County Executive’s Office, people who got their first dose will get an email to schedule their second dose one week in advance.
Those second doses will be given at the Oncenter, as the county moves its entire vaccine clinic from the War Memorial.
Upstate Medical University isn’t giving vaccines to the general public but is administering shots to its staff. A spokesperson says second appointment invitations come in the form of an email.
When it comes to having enough coronavirus vaccine supply for people’s second doses, organizers at different vaccination operations say the second doses are allotted just for them. Currently, shipments of vaccines from New York’s Department of Health are earmarked specifically for either first doses or second doses.
