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“It helps us to have a predictable supply and demand curve, and a predictable experience for people coming to the sites, to avoid those really long wait times that can come from trying to maximize our capacity against percentage no-show, “said Dr. Jennifer Tong, Chief Associate Medical Center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
Like many key workers in the valley, Orient Express manager Chi Pham patiently waits for his turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“They can be sick or not, so I’m very nervous,” said Pham.
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Pham is concerned about the interactions he has with customers on a daily basis, and was disappointed to learn that there were more than 4,500 no-shows on the COVID-19 vaccination sites run by the county last week. That number was about 10% of the available appointments.
“I’m really mad about that because when they sign up, they have to go there to pick it up,” said Pham.
County officials say they are already adjusting to expected no-show rates by overshadowing what they think their maximum capacity is. Last week, 10% was overbooked, so no doses were lost. While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact reasons behind the no-shows, the county believes some people make multiple appointments or sign up before they even qualify.
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“When they have an appointment they don’t want to keep, it feels like just one appointment and probably not that big of a deal, but in reality those individual appointments really add up,” said Dr. Tongue.
County officials say those who signed up but are concerned about the sequel should still show up to have their questions answered by staff.
Tong added, “They can decide at that point if they don’t want to move on, but coming through would at least give us the opportunity to discuss any hesitations they might have.”
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This comes as the county expands its community engagement team, which visits businesses and neighborhoods in some of the areas most affected by the virus. Vaccine education is an important part.
“Hearing from a trusted person what your options are for testing, vaccination, how to keep you and your family safe, will frankly be our secret weapon,” said provincial supervisor Cindy Chavez. “We have to get everyone across the finish line, anyone who is interested in getting vaccinated, we have to get them vaccinated.”
Looking ahead, the province hopes the public will think about the bigger picture and do their bit by canceling appointments they don’t intend to keep. Failure to do so may delay the rollout and prevent the country from moving to another level.
“Hopefully I will get the vaccine as soon as possible so that I can protect myself and also protect the customer,” said Pham.
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