Some Vaccinations in Drive-Through Centers Canceled from Increased Demand, Syringe Fights
Prisma Health has announced it will cancel walk-in vaccinations for the rest due to increased demand for doses of the novel vaccine. The cancellations were attributed to receiving fewer supplies than expected, as well as the escalation of the ongoing syringe fights among Prisma staff and volunteers. This news follows the announcement that nationwide vaccine production would be much lower than the demand projected from increased vaccination awareness and increased vaccine syringe usage from fights.
Hundreds of the most vulnerable members of the community may not be able to receive the vital immunization. This also comes at a crucial time, with COVID numbers on the rise, and fights between healthcare providers with needles at an all-time high. South Carolina rates among the worse states in vaccinations per capita.
“There’s a lot of incompetence at the very top to blame for this” a Prisma Health volunteer told Third Spur under conditions of anonymity. “After taking what we need for the syringe fights, there’s barely anything left for the elderly people that really need it. If they really want to end the pandemic and have everything back to normal, they’d be doing way more than they are now,” the worker said, body covered with small band-aids. “I mean, Christ, half of us couldn’t even fight yesterday.”
At press time, shipments of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine were being prepared to be distributed, used.