Duval County

Confusion, frustrations over COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Duval County

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Some who came down to the Prime Osborn Convention Center to try and get vaccinated for COVID-19 on Wednesday were turned away.

Action News Jax’s Courtney Cole will explains why people were turned away and what the Department of Health says they’re doing to make the process a smoother one, next week.

QUICK FACTS:

  • The Florida Department of Health - Duval County said an online booking system is coming. They are expecting to work the kinks out and have it up in the next day or two.
  • In the meantime, they are asking people to be patient, because of the number of calls they are receiving, but to still call this number for an appointment: 904-253-1140
  • There is a federal pharmacy partnership agreement, so your local pharmacies will soon join in on COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
  • Today was a soft launch and they personally reached out to a couple of independent living facilities, to get vaccinated for COVID-19.
  • When people come out for appointments on Monday, they will have seven lanes at Prime Osborn Center.
  • They are inundated with phone calls across the state. DOH uses a statewide phone system, so they say they’re not the only county health department struggling today.

The Prime Osborne opened its gates on Wednesday morning, for a soft launch of COVID-19 vaccination.

That means the people who got vaccinated today were groups the Duval Department of Health specifically reached notified—including a couple of independent-living facilities.

However, some were turned away when they tried to get vaccinated without an appointment.

A number of people also reached out to Action News Jax, frustrated they were unable to get through on the phone number given by the Department of Health, but the agency has  assured us the number is correct and working.

“To schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, please press one. To schedule an appointment, please...busy signal here.”

That’s the message many heard when they called: 904-253-1140.

It’s the number the Duval Health Department told people to use to make a COVID-19 vaccination appointment.

“I have called since five until eight this morning,” said Jenny Ross.

But for some, Ross, it was just a dead end.

When Cole asked Ross how many times she called the phone number this morning, she told her: “I’ve called at least 20 times. I even called the Health Department of Duval County to try and tell them the number is not working—and you can’t get through there either, " Ross.

Since she couldn’t get through, she came down to Prime Osborne, but still wasn’t able to get the vaccine.

The Department of Health stressed that the Prime Osborne vaccination site is appointment only.

The agency also said the phone line operates on a statewide system and it became inundated with calls.

Crews are working on the issue and a better solution.

“We’re working with the phone vendor and order to see if we can get additional capacity there. Again, keep trying,” said Heather Huffman of the Clay County Health Department.

“It is frustrating, because I think we’re all wanting to move forward and do something about the vaccine, especially getting rid of COVID,” Ross told Action News Jax.

The Department of Health said vaccination appointments for the general public will begin after the holiday, on Monday, January 4th.

After getting dozens of similar complaints – I went to the Duval Department of Health  to get answers about what is being done to make the appointment process easier.

“The good news is— a booking system online is coming. We’re working those out, so we should have that either later today or tomorrow at the latest,” said Huffman.

Huffman, a health officer with the Clay County Health Department, told me they’re also working with the phone vendor to see if they can get additional capacity.

“They are inundated across the state. We use a statewide phone system, so as you can imagine, we’re not the only county health department that is struggling with that,” said Huffman.

The other component the Department of Health believes will help is a federal pharmacy partnership agreement that’s already in place.

“We don’t know when that button is going to be pushed, hopefully the next few weeks, so we can create more access points within each of our communities,” said Huffman.

While the Department of Health is working to improve the process, Jerry Funk  speaks for many when he said, “I just want to get it, and move on down the road hopefully.”

According to the state site, 175,000 people have been vaccinated in Florida already.

That number includes 16,598 people from our area.

The appointment line will be closed on Thursday, December 31st, and Friday, January 1st, 2021.

It will re-open on Monday, which is also the first day of appointments.

Looking ahead to next week— Samantha Epstein the spokesperson for the Duval Department of Health, said it would be really helpful for those who do make appointments to fill out the consent forms before they arrive at the Prime Osborne.

You can get to the consent forms, by clicking on this link: http://duval.floridahealth.gov/ , and then clicking on the yellow box that says, “Click here for COVID-19 vaccination appointment information”

On the form, Epstein said:

  • You don’t have to fill out insurance information on the consent form – because it is a free vaccine.
  • It’s important for you to fill out Section 2 and 3 on the form, which has to do with

medical history and any conditions.

  • People will have to be screened with they come to get vaccinated