Vaccine appointment delays in LA causes confusion; some show up to closed Dodger Stadium site
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The announcement that more than 12,000 vaccination appointments scheduled for Friday in Los Angeles were delayed appeared to create a lot of confusion for some who still showed up to sites like Dodger Stadium hoping to get their shots.
At least two major shipments, totaling more than 60,000 doses, have been held up in other states because of icy roads and grounded flights amid a massive winter weather storm across large portions of the country. Officials said 26,000 doses that were supposed to arrive Tuesday are in Kentucky, and 37,000 doses intended to be used for next week's appointments are in Tennessee.
The delays are only affecting mass city-run sites. Vaccination sites run by the county, which are currently mostly focused on administering second doses, are still operating.
The thousands of people in L.A. who had vaccinations scheduled Friday would've been notified by text, email or phone that their appointments are being postponed.
Nadia Bhamani received what she described as a "random text message from a private number" saying her mother's appointment at Dodgers Stadium had been postponed. But still, they got in the car and drove all the way over from Santa Monica just to be sure. When they arrived, they found the gates shut.
"We need more of you communicating with us, because it's very mysterious, it's so new for all of us," she said, referring to city officials. "So mysterious phone numbers texting me, it's just uncomfortable."
Neal Marcus was also among those who had no idea about the delays.
"Gosh, I'm 66 years old, I've got two young kids at home, this is super important to me," the Sherman Oaks resident said.
Once the city confirms a new shipment of the vaccine has arrived, all patients who missed their appointments will be prioritized and should receive a notification with details for their new rescheduled appointment.
During a Thursday afternoon press conference, Mayor Eric Garcetti said the city is waiting and will be ready to receive those much-needed doses.
"We are in a race against time, a race between infections and injections, and anything that slows down our progress is unacceptable," the mayor said.
Bhamani agrees.
"(It's) annoying. Definitely annoying. I think the whole vaccination site situation needs a lot more streamlining," she said.
City-run sites will be be closed once again for appointments on Saturday. Meanwhile, officials say they are monitoring the situation to see if county-run will be impacted by the delays next week.
