The link to sign up for COVID-19 vaccine appointments at Gritman Medical Center does not say which priority groups the doses are available to, causing ineligible people to register at Friday’s clinic in the University of Idaho Student Recreation Center, just two days after it began operating as the hospital’s main vaccination site.
President Scott Green reminded faculty and staff in an email Friday that only those age 65 or older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the clinic on campus. Others “will be turned away and may cause delays” in registering for an appointment they are not eligible for.
“Many people in our community, including (UI) employees, received messages from friends and acquaintances saying they could sign up for a vaccination at today’s clinic in the Student Recreation Center,” Green stated. “Unfortunately, text clarifying that only those over age 65 were eligible to sign up was removed from many of the messages.”
Priority groups are outlined on the state’s vaccine distribution timeline, and individuals can check if they qualify by following links on Gritman’s website to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. However, many who don’t qualify were still able to sign up.
Gritman, along with the rest of the state, uses PrepMod to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments. PrepMod is a non-profit organization that recently made headlines when its appointment system for Massachusetts’ mass vaccination sites crashed as a million more people became eligible, according to CBS Boston.
“We’re only authorized to give the vaccines to people in the governor’s approved tiers,” Peter Mundt, director of community relations and marketing at Gritman, said. “There’s no way to keep that link to PrepMod private or secure, and unfortunately it’s started to circulate. People get forwarded the link and assume they can sign up.”
The messages being passed around are external, according to Jodi Walker, director of communications at UI. With high demand, Gritman’s staff was forced to turn people away who didn’t meet the qualifications.
“I don’t know how many people showed up down there,” Walker said. “Enough to cause those in charge to ask we send something out clarifying (the guidelines).”
Afton Montgomery, a 26-year-old with an autoimmune disease, said she was forwarded the link to sign up from someone aware of her medical condition. Montgomery works as a teaching assistant in UI’s Department of English.
After successfully making an appointment Friday, Montgomery showed up to the clinic at the scheduled time. She was soon informed of her ineligibility.
“Maybe they should’ve provided more clarity,” Montgomery said. “But I figured I’d try.”
People age 16-64 with underlying medical conditions are in Group 3 of Idaho’s vaccine timeline, which is expected to begin March or early April.
Adults of any age with certain conditions are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. This includes smoking, cancer, pregnancy, asthma and more.
The state is currently working through Group 2, which started Jan. 12. The general public can expect to be vaccinated in May, according to Idaho Public Health.
While priority groups are outlined by Gritman on the “Find a Vaccination Clinic” prompt through its website, the form to “Sign Up for Vaccinations” on Idaho’s PrepMod vaccine site does not say who is or isn’t eligible.
“Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine is for people 16 years and older,” the website states in bold red letters. “Moderna COVID-19 is for people 18 years and older.”
According to Mundt, the message is a drug disclaimer from the manufacturer. Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s vaccines are not yet available to children, at least until there’s enough data from studies in different age groups, according to the Associated Press. The disclaimer has nothing to do with who qualifies, Mundt said.
Although the federal government pays for and distributes the vaccines, it’s up to public providers like state and local health departments as well as private providers like hospitals and clinics to schedule and give out the shots.
“We work with our state and regional health partners as best as we can, but some of that is just absolutely not under our control,” Mundt said. “That’s the system we have to work with.”
Those who manage to make an appointment may have it cancelled if they’re found ineligible. Gritman is working to prioritize individuals who do qualify, including those age 65 or older, first responders, child welfare workers and K-12 teachers and staff. Higher education employees have not yet been designated a priority group.
The large-scale vaccination site’s move from the hospital to UI’s campus just a few blocks away may have also played a role in the confusion, Mundt said.
“I think it made people think they could go there and that’s not the case,” Mundt said. “It’s not an easy process but we are absolutely doing our best and we need the public’s help to make sure they’re not scheduling themselves if they do not qualify.”
Jodie Tooley, a community member who qualifies due to her age, said the clinic was “incredibly well organized,” and the shot “was quick, easy and painless.”
“That’s the way we dig out of this hole,” Tooley said. “I hope more people come.”
Gritman’s staff has been working overtime to help protect the community, according to Mundt.
Not only are registered nurses needed to administer the vaccine, but additional staff is needed to help with mobility assistance, recording patients and directing traffic in the parking lot. The clinic also monitors people for anywhere between 15-30 minutes to make sure they’re not having any sort of adverse or allergic reaction.
In addition to providing the space at the SRC, the university is providing Gritman with extra staff and support. And as time goes on, Mundt said the registering process will likely become smoother.
“We understand that the system isn’t perfect,” Mundt said. “It’s very hard work; It requires our staff to stretch in ways we were not initially set up to do as a hospital.”
According to NPR, over 61 million doses have been administered since distribution began in the U.S. on Dec. 14. Across the country, more than a million shots are given every day on average.
Gritman has administered 2,760 doses here in Latah County, according to Idaho’s new COVID-19 vaccine transparency website.
“It’s felt really rewarding to see their faces, to see the sense of relief when they’re able to get the vaccine,” Mundt said. “Even though there’s some bumps in the road, I hope people don’t lose sight of the big picture, which is saving and protecting human life.”
Angela Palermo can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @apalermotweets.