GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Metro Health Hospital can immunize 1,000 people a day against COVID-19 at their location in Byron Center. However, they do not have enough vaccines to do that.
"Last week, we received, I think, 500 doses of vaccine," said Ronald Grifka, the Chief Medical Officer, "This week, just 400. So, if we can do 1,000 people a day, or six or seven thousand a week, but we're only getting 400 doses of vaccine, it really limits how many people we can help."
Mercy Health Saint Mary's is in the same boat. Their drive-though vaccination site in Grand Rapids can do 300 vaccinations a day, but they are averaging about 150. Their Kentwood site can do 800 a day, and giving out about 300-400 a day.
"We have had some help from the Health Department, giving us a little bit extra to make sure that we get through people we've already committed to," said Andrew Jameson, the Division Chief of Infectious Diseases, "But we've kind of dried up our invitations to anyone in the community, as well as anyone that are our patients. Until the Health Department came through for us the actually the last couple days, we didn't have enough vaccine to get us through the middle of next week with second doses that we already had scheduled. So, we're really, really tight."
Jameson said Mercy Health Saint Mary's has not received any doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the last two weeks. It has been using some shipments of the Moderna version it received, in addition to help from the Health Department. Jameson said they try to stick to one brand at each site, to both coordinate second doses and manage the different storing requirements for the two brands.
The vaccine distribution process comes from the federal government, to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, then to local communities.
"I think it's a combination of it was not always clear how much vaccine was out there available to the state," said Jameson, "And the state has also switched around some of that allocation process in the last week and a half. We're not totally sure how that's going to work. The the the burden of distribution is seemingly getting transferred to the local health departments, and away from hospitals ordering things."
Grifka said he knows the production companies are working to put out more vaccines, and believes the state will allocate them properly when they are able to.
Currently, those being vaccinated are in phase 1B, including teachers, those over the age of 65, first responders and a few other groups.
"And it's quite frustrating, because these are first line responders, very important people that we'd like to get vaccinated, but we just haven't gotten the allocation to do so. We're just really disappointed in the allocation of vaccine we've been given."
At Metro Health Saint Mary's, they are administering more than 100% of the vaccines they receive. That is because Pfizer's vials often contain enough vaccine for another dose.
The uncertainty about vaccine allotment has made it frustrating for some patients to book appointments as well.
"I don't know that people realize we get told how much vaccine we're going to get on Monday, on Friday night," said Jameson, "And so, to make plans about how you're going to use that, and plan on those kind of allocations, is really challenging."
Mercy Health has partnered with Spectrum Health and the Kent County Health Department for the West Michigan Vaccination Clinic at the DeVos Place, and they send staff and some resources there. However, the hospital also has its own two, smaller vaccination clinics, including the drive-though.
RELATED VIDEO: Health Officials: Don't double book your vaccine appointment.
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