FRIDAY, Jan. 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) – After federal guidelines extended eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to people over 65 and people of all ages with underlying health conditions, drug stores say they are ready, ready, and able start shooting.
There is only one small mistake: supply. Given that two vaccines are already available and others are working towards approval for emergency use, the supply is likely to catch up with demand soon, experts say.
As of January 14, the Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnership Program has opened two pharmacy chains per state to offer free COVID-19 vaccines. Pharmacies will be notified when they can participate in this first rollout.
This plan, led by Operation Warp Speed, the government’s vaccine development program, will ultimately enable more than 40,000 pharmacies across the country to inject 100 million vaccines in a month. CVS, Walgreens, Duane Reade, Costco, Walmart, Rite Aid, Publix and others are already registered as partners.
250 million people in the US are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, and pharmacies can help speed the vaccine distribution process more slowly than expected, said Kathleen Jaeger, senior vice president of pharmacy care and patient advocacy at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), an Alexandria, Virginia-based retail group that represents chain pharmacies.
“With 40,000 drug stores and one vaccine per store, it would be very easy to deliver 100 million doses of vaccine in a month,” Jaeger said during a NACDS press conference Wednesday.
“Many people live within five miles of a local pharmacy, so it will be easier to get the vaccines out,” she said. “We are ready and our capacity is enormous.”
How exactly pharmacies will distribute COVID-19 vaccines is not yet fully understood. You could use an appointment system to avoid long lines and crowds, she said. The government asked 19 pharmacy partners to help develop a more precise game plan.
There has been some concern about allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines and pharmacists can handle it given their experience with flu and H1N1 vaccinations, she said. “We always observe a patient for 15 minutes after a vaccine,” she noted. If a person has had life-threatening allergic reactions in the past, they should receive their vaccines under close medical supervision, she added.
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