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“It helps us to have a predictable supply and demand curve and a predictable experience for people coming to places, to avoid those really long waits that can result from trying to maximize our capacity against the non-submission rate,” he said. said Dr. Jennifer Tong, associate medical director of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
Like many essential workers across the valley, Orient Express manager Chi Pham is patiently waiting his turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“They might be sick or not, so I’m very nervous,” Pham said.
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Pham is concerned about the daily interactions he maintains with clients and was disappointed to learn that last week there were more than 4,500 absences at COVID-19 vaccination sites operated by the county. This number represented approximately 10% of available appointments.
“I’m really upset about that, because if they sign up, they have to go there to get it,” Pham said.
County officials say they are already adjusting to the planned non-filing rates, scheduling their maximum capacity too much. Last week the reserves were exceeded by 10%, so no dose was missed. While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons for the absences, the county believes some people make multiple appointments or sign up before they are eligible.
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“When they have an appointment that they don’t plan to meet, it looks like it’s just an appointment and it’s probably not that big, but in reality, those individual appointments add up,” Dr. Tong said.
County officials say those who have signed up, but are worried about continuing, should come forward to get staff to answer their questions.
Tong added, “They can decide at that time if they don’t want to continue, but at least in the future, we would have a chance to resolve any doubts they may have.”
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This happens when the county expands its community engagement team, which visits businesses and neighborhoods in some of the areas most affected by the virus. Vaccine education is a key component.
“Hearing from a trusted person what your options are for testing, vaccination, how to keep you and your family safe, will frankly be our secret weapon,” said county supervisor Cindy Chávez . “We need to get everyone to the finish line, everyone who is interested in getting vaccinated, we need to get them vaccinated.”
To move forward, the county expects the public to think about the big picture and do their part by canceling appointments they don’t intend to keep. Failure to do so could slow down deployment and prevent the county from moving to another level.
“I hope to get the vaccine as soon as I can, so that I can protect myself and also protect the client,” Pham said.
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