PAPILLION, Neb. (KMTV) — With cold temperatures moving in next week, COVID-19 vaccinations will continue on as planned throughout despite the weather.
Cold winter weather and slippery roads created long lines at CHI Midlands Hospital in Papillion on Thursday. Individuals went to their appointments later in the day, once roads were cleared. A viewer informed 3 News Now of these long lines and long wait times for those 80 and older. Some individuals stood in line for over an hour.
The Sarpy/Cass County Health Department says the responsibility falls on the hospital system to organize vaccinations, even thought appointments are made through the health department. 3 News Now reached out to CHI Health to see what went wrong Thursday.
CHI public relations strategist Taylor Barth explained over messages, "Many people missed their scheduled appointments in the morning due to weather... Many of those people came after lunch and brought multiple support persons with them, causing a backlog."
The hospital system says they'd like to avoid these types of situations saying in a statement:
"In the event of inclement weather, we want to assure people that the vaccine clinic will still be open at Midlands. We ask that people arrive as close to their scheduled appointment as possible, but their safety is what’s most important. Our parking lots and sidewalks will be maintained and salted to ensure the safety of community members. If anyone feels it’s unsafe to travel to their appointment, we encourage them to reschedule through the same health department link where they signed up. They can look to make a new appointment at Midlands or at one of the other community partner sites hosting clinics."
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