San Francisco Mass Vaccination Sites On Pause As COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Runs Short
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- With demand soaring and the supply of COVID-19 vaccine limited, San Francisco health officials announced Sunday they were pausing operations at the city's mass vaccination sites located at Moscone Center and City College.
Operations at Moscone Center will be shut down starting Monday for at least for a week. City College will be shut down until Friday and then vaccinations will be limited to those needing second doses.
"The vaccine supply coming to San Francisco's healthcare providers and the Department of Public Health is limited, inconsistent, and unpredictable, making vaccine roll out difficult and denying San Franciscans this potentially life-saving intervention," officials said in Sunday's announcement.
The number of vaccines given out soared over the last week with healthcare providers, pharmacies and the health department all administering shots to San Francisco residents.
Over the last seven days, an average of 7,400 doses were given out.
At the beginning of last week, 31 percent of the 65-and-older population in the city had been vaccinated and the week ended with that total increasing to 47 percent -- nearly at the halfway mark.
Officials said the city has the capacity to administer more than 10,000 vaccines per day but lacks the supply to achieve that goal.
"The temporary pause in vaccinations at the high volume vaccination sites at the Moscone Center and City College begins on Monday, February 15," health officials said. "No vaccination appointments were canceled or rescheduled. Appointment spots are only released for booking once the vaccine supply is confirmed. In other words, there were no appointments available or booked beyond today (Sunday)."
The city will need more than 1.5 million doses to ultimately give its more than 760,000 residents over the age of 16 the required two shots.
As of Feb. 13, San Francisco received 262,000 doses and administered more than 190,000 doses to San Franciscans and surrounding Bay Area residents. The remaining vaccine doses are set aside for scheduled first appointments and scheduled second doses.
