Cape Cod Struggling To Fill Vaccination Appointments

BARNSTABLE, MA — Early in the state's coronavirus vaccination rollout, Cape Cod residents struggled to find a dose. But now, health officials say they're struggling to find enough people to fill appointments.

In February, nearly 100 state and local officials wrote to Gov. Charlie Baker calling for more coronavirus vaccinations in Barnstable County. Since then, more clinics have opened, and 59 percent of Cape Codders have received at least one vaccine dose. Forty-one percent are fully vaccinated, but getting the rest of the region's residents vaccinated has proven difficult, according to State Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro).

Cyr said 17 percent of Cape Cod residents are children and teens who do not qualify for the vaccine yet. He also said some adults are still hesitant about getting the shot.

"It's going to be harder in many ways than what we've had previously," Cyr said Thursday during a news briefing with the Cape Cod COVID-19 Response Task Force.

So now, Cape Cod health officials are the ones hunting down people to get vaccinated, marking a 180-degree shift from when residents had to spend hours online to secure an appointment. Every vaccination clinic run by the Cape Cod Regional Vaccine Consortium has open slots this week, Mary Jo Brogna, the director of nursing for Harbor Health Services in Hyannis, told the Cape Cod Times.

And in Sandwich, Public Health Director Dave Mason is collecting names of people that still need to be vaccinated from town businesses, so Cape Cod Healthcare can schedule them an appointment.

Walk-ins vaccinations are even allowed now at the Barnstable Adult Community Center in Hyannis. The walk-ins are welcome from 9 to 11:45 a.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Residents can also sign up for an appointment by calling 1-888-503-0766 or signing up at the clinic's website.

Other clinics can be found at the following sites:

• Cape Cod Healthcare clinics
• Outer Cape Health Services: call 508-905-2888
• Barnstable County clinics and mass vaccination sites