CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Even as more people become eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine, problems with getting one continue to appear, and local pharmacies are stepping in to help.
Many other counties in the state are either eclipsing, or are well into, the double digits on percentages of their populations having received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, only 6.14% of the Montgomery County’s population has received a first dose, and we are once again the least vaccinated county.
Scheduling confusion
This low percentage isn’t necessarily the county’s fault. Issues with communication from the Tennessee Department of Health, which is handling the scheduling of appointments and communications in 89 counties, are causing frustration in Clarksville.
As it is currently set up, Tennesseans must register online or over the phone, and officials from TDH have stated they are returning phone calls to those who registered with appointment dates and times.
However, some residents report it has taken several weeks to receive an appointment, according to officials in Montgomery County. Others reported not receiving an appointment for their second dose after getting the first shot.
“Many counties are scheduling second dose appointments when the individual is there for their first dose. If they are not being scheduled at that time, we are reaching back out to them via email or phone to schedule the second dose appointment,” Bill Christian, a TDH spokesman, said in an email to Clarksville Now.
Some people reported reaching a call center in North Carolina when trying to schedule appointments. Christian did not answer questions about who does the scheduling or about where the scheduling calls were being outsourced to. Instead, he said there is an additional Tennessee-based call center fielding calls, and that soon the counties will transition to a Vaccine Registration and Appointment Solutions, or VRAS, system for vaccinations.
Communication issues
Patrick Paeth of Clarksville had issues with getting the second appointment for his 83-year-old mother-in-law. The appointment was canceled on Feb. 16 due to the winter storms.
Both Paeth and his mother-in-law reached out to TDH’s call line to get the appointment rescheduled. They were told TDH would contact them with a new time and date. After not hearing anything from TDH for several days, Paeth’s mother-in-law called again Wednesday only to find out the appointment had been rescheduled for the day before.
“No one called her, emailed her or even sent smoke signals. I guess they decided to make the appointment but decided not to inform her that it had been done. If she had not decided to keep calling, I believe she would likely not have gotten that shot,” Paeth told Clarksville Now.
She was then told to show up at the vaccination site before 1 p.m. Thursday, and she was able to get the vaccine around 10:45 a.m.
“My next worry is to see what happens with mine and my wife’s shots. I have my first appointment for the third of March. My wife is 12 years younger than I, so she cannot even get on the list yet. We will see how things go. I must say, I am not very optimistic about the future and the COVID shot outcome for us,” Paeth said.
Problems with the state rollout in Montgomery County run deeper than scheduling. There is also an issue with communication.
The state has been sending some who had registered for a vaccine to Civitan Park, where the Montgomery County Health Department initially conducted COVID-19 vaccinations. On Feb. 10, the county health department moved their operations to the former Sears location in Governor’s Square Mall.
The county government issued a correction of the state’s mistake Wednesday.
Solutions with local pharmacies
Relief could be on the way, with more vaccination sites added. An Austin Peay State University site will be operational on Tuesday, March 2.
And, in addition to Walmart, Kroger and St. Bethlehem Drugs, the pharmacy inside Hilltop Supermarket is now offering the vaccine and has appointments available.
Brandon Vetter, owner and manager of Hilltop Pharmacy, said they have been vaccinating against COVID since Feb. 23. They received 200 doses of the Moderna vaccine this week, and will continue receiving more doses on a weekly basis.
The pharmacy, which is independently owned and operated, was selected because of its location and ability to ease the problems.
“The Tennessee Pharmacists Association was contacted by the Department of Health because Montgomery County was not doing a very good job of getting the population vaccinated,” Vetter said. “And so they said, ‘We need you to find pharmacies or a pharmacy that will be able to do that and help us out.’ They wanted to reach out to an independent pharmacy, because we tend to overall do better with immunizations,” Vetter said.
Vetter added the problem of not vaccinating the population was especially concerning on the south side of the county, where he said not many residents had received a shot. He added that Hilltop would be able to get those interested vaccinated quickly.
“Everybody that’s wanted (a vaccine) has been able to get one in just a few days. So that’s the nice thing – we’re not having to wait like the Health Department and everywhere else that they’re not giving calls back. Anybody that calls us, we’re able to get them (vaccinated) immediately,” Vetter said.
The pharmacy is following the state’s age and risk-based phasing for distribution, but they are working more proactively to get people ready for when the next phases roll around. And their online interface allows people to enter their information to get on the list, regardless of whether their phase is currently eligible.
“One nice thing is that when people put their names (into the system), it’ll automatically allot them to whatever phase they fall under. And so as soon as their phase is ready, it will message them and we will call them to schedule their appointment,” Vetter said.
To get a vaccine at Hilltop Pharmacy, or register ahead of time to be notified, visit the Hilltop Pharmacy website, or call 931-233-0444 to make an appointment.
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February 26, 2021 at 05:56AM
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Pharmacies in Clarksville vaccinating against COVID-19 to make up for state's confusing rollout - Clarksville Now
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