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SC woman pushes for change after difficulty booking second vaccine appointment

A Midlands woman is worried people trying to get their 2nd vaccine dose may not be able to do so within the recommended time frame due to scheduling difficulties.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Midlands woman is concerned people trying to schedule their 2nd vaccine dose may not be able to do so within the recommended time frame. 

Carolyn Matthews, a mother and a grandmother, says, "I got the first vaccine after hours of waiting on the phone with DHEC and dealing with the VAMS online site."

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Matthews, who just turned 70, said, "Then, when I got the vaccine, I of course said can I sign up for my second? And they said, 'Oh no, you can't do it now. You have to go back to the VAMS portal online.'"

Matthews said after getting her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, she immediately started trying to book her appointment for the second dose. "I tried to get it at the place where I got the first vaccine, and there were no available appointments there for close to a month."

Matthews says she was worried about going beyond the vaccine window. "I ended up getting one at another place, but it was well after the 21-day window."

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The CDC says the second dose should be administered as close to the recommended window as possible, although the second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may be scheduled for administration up to six-weeks or 42 days after the first dose.

Matthews said she kept trying every avenue. She called the hospital, DHEC and even emailed the CDC to try get an earlier appointment. She says she kept calling her provider, then emailed corporate headquarters, which eventually got her a call back, enabling her to reschedule her appointment within the 21 day time-frame. But it took her a week and a half.

"My greatest concern is that people over 70 may have trouble scheduling the second vaccine." Matthews wants more to be done to help those that need it. "Before you leave, you nail down the second one."

"I want the providers to be clearly told, that if you gave them the first one, you give them the second one."

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