HealthWorks Immunization Clinic Vaccine Supply
HATTIESBURG, MS – Due to the limited vaccine supply coming in from the Mississippi State Department of Health, HealthWorks Immunization Clinic, a service of Forrest General Hospital and Hattiesburg Clinic, will no longer be accepting new appointments for patients who are requesting their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at this time.
“Hattiesburg Clinic and Forrest General Hospital are extremely grateful for the overwhelming interest in receiving COVID vaccinations at the Healthworks Immunization Clinic. Through the clinic, along with Forrest General Hospital and Hattiesburg Clinic health care workers, we have vaccinated over 2,000 individuals with their first dose and have nearly 4,000 more appointments scheduled in the next two weeks,” said Hattiesburg Clinic CEO Bryan Batson, MD.
Once these vaccines are given to the patients who have already scheduled their appointments, all vaccines that have provided to the joint entity will be gone.
Batson also explained that the details surrounding the rollout are rapidly changing. “Certainly, as the clinic and hospital began working to set up the infrastructure to administer vaccines, we did not know this was ahead of us.” Batson continued, “Everything is changing quickly for every organization, and that means a lot of twists in turns.” Forrest General Hospital and Hattiesburg Clinic are working closely with the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) regarding future plans for the vaccines.
For those who received their first dose at the Healthworks Immunization Clinic, the hospital and clinic are still planning to vaccinate everyone with their second dose as scheduled as long as those vaccines are made available. Everyone who already has a first-dose or second-dose appointment is highly encouraged to keep their appointments.
“Forrest General Hospital and Hattiesburg Clinic have continued to work together in innovative ways to care for our patients and communities. What we have accomplished in a very short amount of time through the HealthWorks Immunization Clinic is no different,” Forrest Health CEO Andy Woodard said. “What is important at this crucial time, is for everyone to continue to come together and find solutions to protect our communities.”
If additional allotments of the vaccine are provided by the MSDH, patients will once again be able to schedule appointments through the online patient portal, Iris. In the meantime, individuals who have questions regarding future vaccine availability should contact the MSDH hotline at (877) 978-6453 or (601) 965-4071 or visit https://covidvaccine.umc.edu/.
