Sutter Health Short On Vaccines As Blue Shield Takes Over Distribution
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sutter Health has reached a breaking point, canceling appointments for vaccines because they say they just don't have the materials.
Last month, the health care system paused all new first-dose appointments due to "insufficient vaccine allocation." Now Sutter is notifying patients with second-dose appointments through March 9 that their appointments are canceled.
"I went and got my first shot no problems," Cecil Coons said.
He says now he can't get his second shot.
"They blamed it on the freezing weather in Dallas," Coons said.
Sutter Health sent Coons an email saying they don't have the materials for vaccines and are at the state's mercy as they inch closer to canceling their more than 90,000 scheduled vaccine appointments.
"My appointment for Friday the fifth vanished," he said.
Coons said he called the state for help but, "they won't answer the phone, they don't answer emails."
CBS13 tried contacting the state to ask why Sutter Health doesn't have doses when counties including Sacramento and Solano say they have enough supply.
The state's response read, "every county, every state, every country wishes they had more vaccines and it's constrained by manufacturing, but California continues to work closely with the Biden administration to increase supply for providers statewide."
We asked Coons if the state's response was adequate.
"No, no, they don't have any responsibility in anything they're always trying to shove it off on everyone else. It's very insulting," he said.
Back in January, the state came up with a plan to streamline the vaccine process, tapping third-party agency Blue Shield to take over allocation.
Blue Shield's transition started on Monday. On Thursday, they'll start allocating vaccine does. The company says the transition will be complete by the end of the month when they say they will be distributing 4 million doses a week.
CBS13 did reach out to the CDC to ask what would happen if the window to get the second dose runs out for someone like Coons. They say it's unlikely he would have to start over.
