Chandler doctor providing COVID-19 vaccine to his patients in office

A Chandler doctor is providing the COVID-19 vaccine to his patients, helping those who are older receive the vaccine sooner and without having to wait in long lines.

CHANDLER, Ariz. - As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues, many seniors are struggling to sign up for the vaccine online, and most slots have filled up fast.

That’s one of the reasons why a Chandler physician says he is excited to provide the vaccine at his family clinic.

Dr. Andrew Carroll says as far as he knows, his family clinic is the first of its kind in Maricopa County to offer the vaccine and he says getting more vaccines to more family clinics in Arizona and across the country is key to overcoming this virus.

"It is so crucial," Carroll said. "There are people who have concerns about the vaccine. We’re here for them."

How to sign up and schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment

Carroll has been pushing for the past few months to get COVID-19 vaccines in the hands of primary care physicians. "A lot of older folks over the age of 75 don’t have access to a computer or don’t know how to use one, so asking them to go into a website to register is just absolutely ridiculous."

Linda Fish, a senior and patient of Carroll’s sats, "We’ve been trying phone, on the computer, with no luck of getting anything."

But just this week, Linda and her husband were two of several patients to get the vaccine at Carroll’s office.

"My husband and I were very relieved when we got the vaccine," Fish said.

Carroll says he managed to get 975 doses of the vaccine for his clinic in Chandler after reaching out to Maricopa County and the governor’s office.

Arizona's COVID-19 vaccine prioritization

There, he and his staff are administering doses to his patients who are over the age of 75, as well as patients who are teachers or police officers. They’re also giving out shots to a select number of other people who qualify in Arizona.

While the number of shots are limited, Carroll says just having this vaccination at a local clinic is a huge step in the right direction.

"If we can get them to primary care providers and get people immunized and get over this once and for all," he said.

Carroll does want to make clear that there are limitations on who can sign up for that vaccine at his clinic. It's mainly his own patients that will be getting those doses of the vaccine along with those who fit the criteria of the distribution phases.