The Hamilton County Health Department’s appointment-only vaccine process created problems for people who do not have the resources or knowledge of how to schedule one online.
Charles Towell, an 88-year-old veteran from Soddy Daisy and his 86-year-old wife Joanne, said they had been turned away three times at the Tennessee Riverpark while trying to get the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The couple said they had trouble making an appointment and getting help in the process.
The first two times, they were told there were no more openings available after waiting in line for several hours to later find out extra doses were going elsewhere.
“They shouldn't have ever cut us off until they got rid of the vaccine but see they had this vaccine leftover and then they called their friends to come and get the vaccine," Towell said.
They got word about appointments for the first time on Tuesday when they visited where they were turned around again.
Towell called the COVID-19 hotline number to which a representative responded by saying there were no more doses available and that they were not taking any future appointments based on the fact that it is unclear when they will get another shipment.
The couple echoed the feelings of others their age and hope to see improvements from those leading vaccination efforts.
“This is not right. There needs to be something straightened out, something done about it,” Powell said.
There are seven more days for the first Pfizer vaccine listed online which have already filled up.
There are doses allocated for those taking the second dose of the vaccine for later this week.
The health department notes that additional appointment days will be added when more shipments of the vaccine come in from the Tennessee Department of Health.
