Volunteer dropoff doesn’t hurt Arizona vaccination operations, authorities say

PHOENIX – The number of people volunteering to work at mass COVID-19 vaccination sites in Arizona plummeted after the state expanded eligibility for the shots last week, but it isn’t impacting operations, authorities said Monday.

“It’s not going to affect people’s appointments. That’s the first thing that people need to know,” Rhonda Oliver, CEO of HandsOn Greater Phoenix, told KTAR News 92.3 FM. Oliver’s nonprofit group has been providing volunteers for several state-run sites.

Arizona Department of Health Services spokesman Steve Elliott told KTAR News the volunteer level has remained high enough to maintain operations.

“Our staffing partners tell us there are adequate numbers of volunteers at this time, though based on longer-term information we’ve seen on volunteer numbers we are prepared for the potential that paid workers may be needed,” he said in an email.

Oliver said the chance to get an end-of-shift shot was a big draw for volunteers when eligibility was limited by age and occupation requirements.

“Throughout February and March, we had thousands of volunteers interested in the spots,” she said. “As soon we would post shifts they would be gone immediately.”

That changed last week, when eligibility was extended to all adults at state-run sites and other points of dispensing in Maricopa County, with the age cutoff set at 16 for the Pfizer shot and 18 for Moderna or Johnson & Johnson versions.

“Interest really bottomed out,” Oliver said. “We’ve had shifts posted since last week that still aren’t full. It’s been a radical shift.”

On Wednesday, the first day for the expanded eligibility, the state’s 24/7 site at State Farm Stadium in Glendale experience delays of several hours, but officials said it wasn’t related to staffing.

“The backup was caused by people showing up without appointments or with appointments for other days and times. Some viral rumor apparently started it,” ADHS said on Twitter.

During a press briefing Friday, Health Director Dr. Cara Christ said a system was in place to keep staffing at the necessary level, regardless of the volunteer turnout.

“We do have contracts in place with the operators of the sites that if we don’t have the volunteers, they just activate a staffing contract and then we bring on paid staff to do that,” she said.

“So as much as we like our volunteers, we do have backup capabilities.”

The state’s vaccine supply has been increasing but is still limited. Volunteering remains a way to guarantee access to a shot.

Volunteers can sign up through the HandsOn Greater Phoenix website.

As of Monday morning, the state health department reported that more than 3.2 million vaccine doses have been administered in Arizona, with about 2 million people (28.6% of the state’s population) getting at least one shot and about 1.27 million people fully vaccinated.

For details about statewide vaccine availability, the ADHS website has a vaccine-finder page with a map of locations and information about registration and eligibility.

For information about metro Phoenix vaccine availability, Maricopa County Public Health has a vaccine locator that lists pharmacies, government-run sites, health clinics and pop-up distribution events.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ali Vetnar contributed to this report.

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