HAMILTON COUNTY — No-shows are becoming a growing issue at vaccine clinics and that is putting those valuable does of the shot at risk, according to the Hamilton County Health Department.
The department told WRTV they are seeing around 50 no-shows at their fairgrounds clinic each day.
In order to prevent doses of their Pfizer vaccine from going to waste, the health department will begin sending out confirmation texts and phone calls the Wednesday before your appointment.
They are also setting up a specific hotline for people who need to cancel their appointment because they know the wait times when you call 211 can often be long.
Leaders with the Hamilton County Health Department are asking anyone who is unable to make their appointment to please call and cancel.
“The reason it is important is that this vaccine has a shelf life," said Christian Walker, public health preparedness coordinator for the Hamilton County Health Department. "Once we pierce the membrane that protects it we are on the clock and we only have six hours to get that in somebody's arm, so if people no show especially toward the end of day, that risks us wasting vaccine when we could potentially open that appointment to give somebody else that vaccine to help protect them as well.”
Walker says with more vaccine clinics opening up, most no-shows are likely people who were able to get an appointment quicker somewhere else. He says their appointments are about 99% booked for the next few weeks.
If you need to cancel your appointment you can call the new Hamilton County hotline at 317-776-8566.
