COVID Vaccine Delays Cause Cancelled Appointments across San Diego

By Anny H. Ruth | February 19, 2021

A variety of San Diego County vaccine centers are prioritizing second dose appointments and rescheduling first dose appointments due to national shipping delays. This includes all County COVID-19 vaccination points and the North County Super Station in San Marcos. Appointments are being rescheduled into next week.

Other vaccination super stations are effected as well:

The vaccination super station at Petco Park is pausing all appointments Friday, Feb. 19 and Saturday, Feb. 20. Those who were scheduled are being notified via their UCSD MyChart accounts.

The Sharp vaccination super station sites at Chula Vista Center and Grossmont Center are still offering first and second dose appointments with Pfizer vaccine.

The County’s vaccination super station at the Del Mar Fairgrounds remains open and is honoring previously scheduled appointments.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention has advised that people can wait up to 42 days between doses and still achieve maximum immunity. Therefore, people who have received their first dose and are experiencing minor delays in second dose appointments need not be concerned.

In a press conference earlier this week, Nathan Fletcher, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors explained that San Diego County had not received the entirety of a shipment from Moderna that was delayed last week, and is now delayed again due to the winter weather. Moderna’s main facility is in Michigan, while Pfizer’s is in Massachusetts. Severe weather across the country has slowed the supply chain and shipments of vaccine doses.

Fletcher said the county should remain on track to start vaccinating the first tier of Phase 1B, including teachers, police officers and law enforcement, and essential workers in food and agriculture by the first week of March.