Two Banner vaccine sites have been merged into one to focus on second doses at the Kino Stadium site.

 Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

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Banner-South’s vaccination site will prioritize second vaccine doses throughout the rest of the month as Pima County’s two Banner Health locations were consolidated Thursday due to a limited vaccine supply.

The Banner-North Cancer Center, 3838 N. Campbell Ave., has closed its vaccination site to merge with Banner-South Kino Stadium drive-thru vaccine center at 2500 E. Ajo Way. The county says the Kino site will expand its capacity as the county receives more vaccines.

Pima County Public Health Director Dr. Theresa Cullen discusses COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and reflects on one year since the county's first coronavirus case was tested.

Those who received their first dose at Banner-North have been rescheduled to receive a second shot at the Kino site, according to the county.

Banner vaccine recipients impacted by appointment delays should have received notification from Banner with a private link to rebook.

The newly consolidated Banner site will postpone first-time doses until April to ensure second doses are administered up to six weeks after the first one — the maximum timeframe recommended by the CDC.

The county announced it would consolidate the Banner sites in mid-February. Dr. Theresa Cullen, county health department director, said the hope was Banner-South would be able to increase appointments in the meantime, but instead, first-dose appointments were canceled due to a lack of vaccine supply.

While some first-dose appointments remain available, they’re a rare find as the county prioritizes second-shot appointments and figures out how it will distribute this week’s vaccine allocation.

Cullen says this week, the county has 23,000 doses of Moderna it will allot to county vaccination centers. She says first-dose appointments at Tucson Medical Center are limited, while Tucson Convention Center is opening some first-time appointments based on supply.

University of Arizona President Robert Robbins said the state-run point of distribution site on campus should open up more first-time appointments beginning Sunday, March 7. For now, all first-dose appointments are booked.

Some retail pharmacies the state and federal governments supply with vaccines are also accepting a limited number of first-time appointments, according to Cullen.

Those currently eligible to receive vaccines in Pima County are adults 65 and older, educators, child care workers and protective services workers.

Qualifying vaccine recipients can register for a vaccine appointment at a county-run site at pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 222-0119. The call line hours run from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Online registration for state-run vaccination sites is available at podvaccine.azdhs.gov, and those who need assistance can call 1-844-542-8201.

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