COVID-19 vaccine hunters hunt, wait, and wait in Los Angeles

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. (Reuters) – Jose Luis Espinoza has been chasing a COVID-19 vaccine for more than three weeks.

It had been a long time since he had hugged his 98-year-old father and he hoped a vaccine would change that. Last week he won gold in Santa Fe Springs.

“It was the last dose they gave, and I was the lucky one,” the 68-year-old said.

The pursuit of leftover vaccine doses is wide and competitive in Los Angeles. The wait can last hours outside a clinic or vaccination site, and most people deviate without a shot.

Clinics have leftover doses when people cancel their appointment at the last minute or do not show up. Once opened, the vaccine vials have an expiration date: 5 days for the Pfizer vaccine and 30 days for the Moderna.

“We need to make sure if we get this vaccine, that we have the people enrolled and the resources and the event scheduled,” said Will Baker, manager of the CARE Ambulance private ambulance service clinic, stressing the importance of not waste any of the precious doses.

“MORE GUARANTEED”

Vaccine trackers have been criticized for receiving doses when it is not their turn, perhaps taking them out to someone who may need more.

“I’m here hoping they can have more,” said Cynthia Perez, 48, the first to arrive when she opened the Santa Fe Springs clinic at 2 p.m.

“So I’m not trying to jump the line. I just try to take advantage of any vaccine or any dose that can be given, ”he said.

Perez said she had a child with asthma and was feeling unwell herself, adding, “I try to get a little ahead of the curve and stay healthy.”

As the night wore on, the line of pursuers outside the clinic grew and Baker ran out of data. Throughout the day, he counted the remaining doses at each vaccination station, reviewed the appointment list, and did the math.

When the clinic closed at 6 p.m., and only one shot was left, he called Espinoza.

“I reviewed the guidelines and looked for anyone on the line who was 1A,” Baker explained, referring to the first category of vaccine allocation as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We had a person on the line who met the 1A criteria and today we were able to get a vaccine,” he said.

Baker then took to the streets and told the rest of the line that there were no more doses for the day, apologizing and thanking everyone for their patience.

Perez grabbed his bag and headed home, disappointed but not deterred.

“It simply came to our notice then. It’s never guaranteed, ”he said.