More than 140,000 Pima County residents have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since Dec. 17, but limited vaccine supply and kinks in the registration system remain a challenge.
In total, there are approximately 720,000 people who require vaccinations in Pima County, not including minors under 16 and an estimated 200,000 people who will likely decline a vaccine.
As of Feb. 6, Pima County is in Phase 1B of its vaccination plan and is currently inoculating people 70 and older, and law enforcement, education and child care providers. Other parts of the state may be vaccinating people 65 and older, but the Pima County Health Department has chosen to expand to additional age groups in phases to keep up with demand and ensure vaccine availability.
“The transparency, the supply chain, where (the vaccine) is going and what we can expect is what’s the most difficult in this situation, and to be frank, we don’t control that,” said Pima County’s Public Health Director Dr. Theresa Cullen. “We are at the end of the hose. We get the vaccine that’s coming out and we use it as effectively and efficiently as we can.”
Here’s the most recent information available about vaccine distribution and registration in Pima County, including phasing details, vaccination locations, instructions on how to register and other important information:
Phases and timeline
Because initial vaccine supplies are limited, doses are being allocated and administered in a multiphase distribution plan. Pima County has been hesitant to provide estimates for when each phase will be completed but has predicted to be near completion for both first and second doses of the vaccine by at least September.
Phase 1B - Pima County is currently in Phase 1B, more specifically 1B.1, of its COVID-19 vaccination plan, with special emphasis on communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. In Phase 1A, the county vaccinated high-risk health-care workers.
Phase 1B.1 is divided into five groups, the first four of which have been rolled out already. Here is a breakdown of these categories:
Phase 1B.1.a — Adults 75 and older due to their higher risk for hospitalization, illness and death from COVID‐19.
Phase 1B.1.b — Protective service workers, which include law enforcement personnel, firefighters, emergency response staffers, and corrections and court personnel.
Phase 1B.1.c — Teachers and school staffers, educators in higher education and trade schools, and paid child care workers.
Phase 1B.1.d.1 — Adults 70 years and older due to their elevated risk of hospitalization, illness and death from COVID-19.
Phase 1B.1.d.2 — Adults 65 years and older due to their elevated risk of hospitalization, illness and death from COVID-19.
Upon the completion of the groups in Phases 1B.1, the next priority groups to be vaccinated will be those in Phase 1B.2, which is divided into two groups:
Phase 1B.2.a — Includes essential workers that ensure the smooth functioning of society, such as power and utility workers, food- and agriculture-related occupations (grocery stores, restaurants, farms, packaging and distribution) and transportation occupations.
Phase 1B.2.b — Includes adults in congregate settings with high-risk medical conditions.
Phase 1C - This phase will include adults of any age with a high-risk medical condition, which may include cancer, kidney disease, COPD, Down syndrome, heart conditions, obesity and other conditions. In addition, adults in congregate settings, such as shelters, will continue to be vaccinated in this phase.
Phase 2 & 3 - The last phases of the county’s distribution plan will include any remaining Phase 1 and Phase 2 populations, additional high-risk populations and members of the general population.
For a more detailed list of these categories, visit www.pima.gov/covid19vaccine.
Vaccination centers and hours
Here are the facilities distributing vaccines in Pima County:
Tucson Medical Center — 2597 N. Wyatt Drive, Lot 29
- Drive-thru appointments
- Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Administering Pfizer and Moderna vaccines
- Vaccinating approximately 1,000 people per day
- Emphasis on older adults (70+)
Banner North — 3838 N. Campbell Ave., Building 2
- Drive-thru appointments
- Open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Administering Pfizer and Moderna vaccines
- Vaccinating approximately 800 people per day, will increase to 1,500 a day
- Emphasis on older adults (70+)
Banner South Kino Stadium — 2500 E. Ajo Way
- Drive-thru appointments
- Open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Administering Moderna vaccines
- Capacity to vaccinate 1,000 people a day
- Emphasis on older adults (70+)
Tucson Convention Center — 260 S. Church Ave.
- Walk-through appointments
- Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Administering Moderna vaccines
- Capacity to vaccinate 1,500 people a day
- Emphasis on law enforcement and older adults (70+)
University of Arizona — 1737 E. University Blvd., Gittings Building, Room 129
- Walk-through and drive-thru appointments (UA Mall)
- Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Administering Pfizer vaccines
- Emphasis on educators and child care workers
Pima County is also looking to set up an additional vaccination center at Rillito Park. It will likely serve as a local 24 hour/seven-day operation consistent with the two facilities that have been set up in Maricopa County. If the county’s vaccine allocation is increased and funding is provided by the state, this facility would have the capacity to vaccinate up to 5,000 a day.
Additional vaccine distribution points
Community health centers and clinics are also distributing vaccines to eligible people but on a much smaller scale. The focus of these clinics is to provide vaccine access to Pima County’s low-income and rural and semi-rural communities. They include El Rio, Marana Health clinics, United Community Healthcare Centers and Desert-Senita.
If you are a patient at El Rio and are prioritized in Phase 1B, visit www.elrio.org/covidvaccine.
If you are a patient at MHC Healthcare and are over 70 years old, visit www.mhchealthcare.org/covid-19.
If you are a veteran over the age of 75, you can be vaccinated through the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System. Eligible veterans are being contacted directly by the VA staff to schedule an appointment.
Prioritized Pima County residents can also receive a COVID-19 vaccine at select grocery stores, but appointment availability is extremely limited based on vaccine supply. According to the Department of Health Services, there are currently 10 pharmacies at Fry’s and Safeway stores offering vaccines in Pima County through a federal Retail Pharmacy Program. The Fry’s website says vaccines are being offered to people over 65, and the Safeway website says they are being offered to people over 75.
More information about these pharmacies and registration information can be found at www.azdhs.com/findvaccine. Use the interactive map to find the closest pharmacy offering the COVID-19 vaccine and then follow the link or call the store to find out if appointments are available.
Long-term-care and assisted living facilities
The Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, a federal partnership between the Centers for Disease Control, CVS and Walgreens, is facilitating on-site vaccination of residents and workers at over 2,000 Arizona skilled-nursing facilities.
According to Pima County officials, all of the county’s long-term-care facilities have already received at least their first round of vaccinations and vaccinations at assisted-living facilities are underway. This will likely continue through April.
However, “a substantial number” of assisted living facilities did not enroll in the federal vaccination program. The county is partnering with the state health department to develop a mobile outreach pilot plan to target assisted living facilities not covered by the CVS/Walgreens partnership as well as other elderly and disabled residents.
How to register for a vaccine
If you belong to a currently prioritized group, you can register to receive a vaccine. Because vaccine availability is limited, appointments may not be available immediately. After submitting your preregistration, be sure to continue checking your email for important updates.
If you filled out preregistration on Pima County’s website and have been waiting longer than 17 days to be notified about an available appointment, the Pima County Health Department has advised that you fill out the registration form again with the same information.
The county currently has five vaccine distribution sites (listed above) and two registration portals. One registration portal is via Banner, where people can register at Banner-North or Banner-South Kino Stadium. The other vaccination portal is via TMC, where people can register at the TCC, TMC or the University of Arizona.
Here’s what you should do:
Adults who are 70 and older can register online or over the phone at 520-222-0119 (for non-Banner sites).
Go to www.pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration
- Select age 70 and older
- Select your preferred location: Banner or TMC/TCC.
- Banner: Fill out the registration screening form at the bottom of the page. This requires your own email address.
- Once the form is filled out, you will be taken to a separate page where you can choose to book an appointment at Banner-North or Banner-South Kino Stadium.
- After a couple of questions, you’ll be taken to the appointment page. If there are no appointments available, you’ll see a notice at the top of the screen. Anyone who is registering through Banner will have to keep checking the site for appointments. They will not notify you when appointments are available.
- TMC/TCC: Fill out the Pima County Vaccine Pre-Registration Form. This requires your own email address.
- Once you send the form, wait for an email from TMC MyChart, which will send a confirmation email and a link to complete the registration process and schedule an appointment.
- If appointments are not immediately available, you’ll receive an email that confirms the receipt of your preregistration form and notifies you that appointments are backed up. You’ll receive a subsequent email when appointments become available.
Law enforcement/education and child care providers - Go to www.pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration
- Select your category
- Select “Make Your Appointment”
- Fill out the Pima County Vaccine Pre-Registration Form and follow subsequent instructions to make an appointment. Appointments may not be available immediately.
I’m 65 to 69 years old and want to be vaccinated now. What are my options? Once more vaccines become available, Pima County will expand its vaccine access to include 65 and over. Those who are eager to be vaccinated sooner, and who have available transportation can register at state-operated locations, including the 24/7-operated State Farm Stadium and Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Check azhealth.gov/COVID19Testing for eligibility and scheduling availability.
Important links and contacts:
Pima County vaccine registration: www.pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration
Pima County registration help line: 520-222-0119 (Monday through Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m._
Vaccine distribution plan: www.pima.gov/covid19vaccine
COVID-19 testing: www.pima.gov/covid19testing
Arizona Department of Health Services: www.azdhs.com/findvaccine
James Sugg gets his first dose of the Moderna COVID vaccine at Hacienda at the Canyon, Tucson, Ariz., January 27, 2021. Shannon Ruedlinger, executive director of the facility said that 250 doses were scheduled to be administered to staff and residents there during their two day vaccination program.