Pierce Health Addresses Issues With Vaccine Clinic Registration

PUYALLUP, WA — The Tacoma - Pierce County Health Department says it's aware issues with the registration system used for the recent vaccine clinics have caused confusion and frustration — but they're working to fix the problem so it doesn't happen again.

The Tacoma - Pierce County Health Department opened registration for its third free vaccination clinic at 9 a.m. Thursday. Less than 20 minutes later, the event's 1,500+ slots were full, and registration was closed.

But during that rush to register, a lot of things went wrong, the department says. Some users were able to sign up for the Gig Harbor clinic, even after slots had filled. Problems with confirmation emails caused further confusion, as some residents received emails confirming their appointment for the wrong clinic or the wrong date. Others didn't get a confirmation email at all.

Several Patch readers reported being unable to even access the registration form. The health department said they've heard similar complaints. The department said they know the issues are frustrating, and are promising to fix as many as possible.

"We know you’re upset. We would be upset, too," Stephanie Dunkel, the assistant division director for TPCHD's Communicable Disease Department, said in a statement Friday. "This last year has been a stressful time for everyone, and vaccines provide hope we will return to normal soon. We’ve all been waiting a long time for a vaccine to arrive, and this frustrating process has made it more difficult."

This is not the first issue with the health department's registration system. On Saturday, TPCHD announced that its system had allowed residents to sign up for clinics at dates they weren't scheduled for.

Now, the health department says it's scrapping the whole system and will be completely replacing it in the coming days. The department also says it's heard complaints that registration can only be completed on a computer or smartphone, and is looking at other options like phone registration.

While they do that, TPCHD will also be contacting everyone who registered for the Gig Harbor clinic. If you completed the registration form and signed up for the Gig Harbor clinic on Saturday, the department says you should expect an email. That email will confirm if your appointment was correctly processed, or if your registration had finished after all the slots had already filled up. Those who registered after slots had filled will not be able to get a shot this weekend.

"Your turn to get vaccinated will come. Unfortunately, we can’t create waitlists for everyone who encountered problems," Dunkel said. "Vaccine is still limited throughout our county. But we will offer many more options for community clinics in the weeks and months ahead. We expect them to fill up quickly."

Finally, the health department has also launched a new email service to better notify the public of upcoming clinics. You can register to receive email alerts about new clinics by visiting tpchd.org/notify and signing up for emails about "COVID-19 community vaccination clinics". The three clinics thus far have been announced on fairly short notice, which the health department says is likely to continue because of fluctuations in vaccine supply, but these emails can help clear up some confusion. Announcements of future clinics will be also posted at tpchd.org/vaxtothefuture.

On a positive note: once a patient has managed to successfully register for these vaccination clinics, the rest of the process has been going smoothly. The first clinic in Lakewood vaccinated more than 1,800 Pierce County residents, and even more got their first dose at the state fair in Puyallup Thursday.