Moderna Mixup Threatens Montco Second Dose Vaccine Appointments

NORRISTOWN, PA — Officials remain uncertain just how significant an impact the statewide mixup of Moderna vaccine doses will have upon Montgomery County.

The county was already dealing with a significant shortage of doses, shutting down its mass vaccination clinics for a second week in a row. Then news broke Wednesday that a significant number of second doses of the Moderna vaccine were mistakenly given as first doses by providers statewide, which will cause roughly 30,000 to 60,000 appointments to be canceled and rescheduled.

"I was surprised, furious, and disappointed," Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said on Wednesday, reacting to when she was told of the situation. "Because we have been assured repeatedly that those second doses would be there for us, and as a consequences, we have been giving out our first doses as quickly as possible."

There are nearly 5,300 second doses scheduled to be administered in the county next week. While additional shipments are expected, it's still unknown how many doses will be in those shipments, and if it will be sufficient to cover everyone scheduled. Therefore, it's unknown how many county residents will potentially be impacted. The county will contact those who made an appointment if it must be rescheduled.

Arkoosh said that while she cannot speak for the private vaccine providers in the county, like pharmacies, she is positive that the county health department is not among those who made errors. "Our team has been meticulous about giving doses out correctly," she said.

Regardless, state officials have assured the public that even if appointments must be delayed, they will be rescheduled within the maximum time frame between two doses, which is 42 days.

The mix-up comes as the state is in the process of winding down the total number of providers. It stood at more than 1,700 last week, before the state announced intentions to winnow that number down to 200 to 300 of the "top performers." That includes county health departments, so Montgomery County expects a major increase in shipments in the future.

Both of the county's mass vaccination clinics — the first dose clinic at Norristown Area High School and the second dose clinic at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell — will be open next Monday.

The issue has been ongoing since early January. The mistakes led to providers statewide requesting some 200,000 second doses of the Moderna vaccine last week, which outstrips the state's weekly allocation for both first and second doses combined.