Thousands of COVID vaccine appointments going unfilled in Nevada

Thousands of vaccine appointments in Clark County, NV, have gone unfilled in the past week, leading local health officials to urge opening COVID-19 vaccinations to people aged 55 years and older. Clark County’s two mass vaccination sites are operating well below capacity, Southern Nevada Health District chief health officer Fermin Leguen said Monday. Both mass vaccination sites are capable of administering about 4,000 doses per day, but the Cashman Center has been administering less than 2,500 per day, while the Las Vegas Convention Center is rarely breaking 3,000 doses a day. The problem comes less than a month after vaccine eligibility began for residents aged 65-69 years. Leguen said more people in that age group may still be working, compared with older residents, making it harder to schedule an appointment during the day. The health district plans to expand public outreach and keep mass vaccination sites open later in a bid to attract more patients, he said, but the most effective way to increase appointments would be to allow the public wider access.