YRMC holds vaccine site as state and local officials call for more doses
KYMA
By Cody Lee
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Appointments are now fully booked for Yuma Regional Medical Center’s (YRMC) first mass vaccination clinic at the Yuma Civic Center.
YRMC receiving one-thousand doses of the Moderna vaccine this week.
Locals booking the appointments within hours of the phone lines and website portal opening Tuesday.
Yuma Regional Medical Center officially announcing plans to vaccinate the community and the phones were off the hook.
Machele Headington is the V.P. of marketing & communications for YRMC.
“People are really frustrated with just not being able to get through, you know with something so important right we all know that this really is the hope that we have for keeping our community safe and well so apologies to all of those who have continued to try and don’t give up because we’re going to continue to provide vaccines as long as we keep them coming in,” Headington explained.
With over 34,000 coronavirus cases in Yuma County, YRMC says it is doing everything it can to increase the number of vaccines available in our area.
“I’ve been hearing that we are expected to be getting, you know, regular deliveries of the vaccine. I think until we actually start seeing them here and delivered it’s really hard to calculate that or even to know what to do,” Headington said.
“We will be ready to run seven days a week if we get vaccines and two days a week if we just get a small amount but whatever that is, we’re gonna flex to meet the need,” she added.
Arizona’s senior senator, Kyrsten Sinema, is now calling on the Department of Health and Human Services and FEMA to help distribute more vaccines to the state.
YRMC also pushing for more doses.
“If we can get additional vaccines to Yuma which I know all of our community leaders are advocating strongly for us so we appreciate that deeply. I know our own CEO Dr. Trenschel is on the call with our state leaders weekly continuing to advocate because it is. It’s much needed right, that is the only thing that really is going to get us out from under the large number of hospitalizations that we’ve had here in Yuma, and the impact of that we all know is substantial,” said Headington.
Senator Sinema is requesting an emergency 300,000 extra doses immediately and adding 300,000 doses to Arizona’s weekly total moving forward.
YRMC expects to receive additional doses of the vaccine in the coming weeks and will continue to move forward with the civic center location, as the push to get more vaccines continues.