It was reported a few days ago that about 14% of us have received a COVID vaccination and just over 7% of the U.S. population have received two COVID vaccine shots. Clearly, there is a long way to go.
Just imagine if in this nation we right now had around 88,000 locations and 300,000 or more people trained to deliver medication to individuals. How much better might it be if these well trained and experienced people in these places were already delivering nearly 200 million doses of regular influenza vaccine to patients every year.
If this kind of system existed in the nation, wouldn’t you want to see it better utilized for the COVID vaccine?
Well, it does exist. We call the places pharmacies and the people pharmacists. Yes, in addition to the flu vaccines they administer, they fill almost 4.5 billion prescriptions every year. And, doing this requires a network of suppliers and distributors that call on pharmacies once, sometimes twice, a day to supply them with medicines of all kinds.
As stories are told about trying to get appointments, of long lines, of waiting lists too long to even accept more people, I keep wondering: why are governments building parallel systems to administer the COVID vaccine?
One of the strangest approaches I heard about is occurring in the nation’s Capital. The District of Columbia officials actually distribute the vaccine according to zip codes of their choosing. Friday is an “open” day for all zip codes so citizens can log in and play a lottery-like challenge to get a vaccination.
Imagine if this odd plan applied to asthma medication or heart medications…..sorry, we only fill prescriptions for this medication if you live in certain zip codes…strange, isn’t it!
Then, there are the positive – sort of – stories of how so many people don’t show up for a government run scheduled appointment that pharmacists have been known to come out into their store and ask people if they want a vaccination because the unused vaccine for the day would have to be destroyed.
Here, where I live in Maryland, I am getting invited with some frequency to travel for a couple of hours to an amusement park where I could wait in a long line for my vaccination.
Perhaps the policy makers had it right when they initially spoke of using retail pharmacies to provide vaccinations. Most people live near a pharmacy. The pharmacy receives medical products everyday through a proven system involving thousands of trucks and many thousands of trained people.
Do we really need to use stadiums, amusement parks and the nation’s military for distribution?
With many millions more doses of the vaccine delivered than there have been shots administered, we really should take a new look at how best to get the other 93% of the population their second shot, not to mention getting people their first shot. I think having the government in the middle of the distribution business is not helping. We have an incredible structure in place to receive medications from manufacturers and deliver those medications to the nation’s local pharmacies. Let’s use the system built over decades and allow the government focus on the distribution system they own and operate so well: the Postal Service.
Craig Fuller served four years in the White House as assistant to President Reagan for Cabinet Affairs, followed by four years as chief of staff to Vice President George H.W. Bush. Having been engaged in five presidential campaigns and run public affairs firms and associations in Washington, D.C., he now resides on the Eastern Shore.
Michaell Davis says
I could not agree more with Mr. Fuller. There needs to be a system for administering the vaccines.
If a system is operating anywhere, I don’t see it. All the anecdotal evidence I have indicates people are getting shots in spite of any system.
Here in Talbot, one couple got shots at Six Flags by calling and making appointments on their own. Another Talbot couple got shots by having a relative book them for shots in the county where the relative lives. A friend of mine in Montgomery County got his shots because his mother is in an assisted care facility that had extra doses. The faculty offered shots to relatives regardless of age. Garrett County, which has fewer people than Talbot, is already providing shots to the 65-74 age group. My cousin who lives there is getting his second shot this week.
My friends in Washington, DC, and northern Virginia are getting shots both because they game the system, or because those jurisdictions get a greater percentage of doses for their populations than does Talbot County.
For a few weeks in a row, Talbot was only getting 300 doses per week. Assuming the virus keeps mutating and new vaccines are required, by getting only 300 doses a week, hardly anyone in Talbot will ever get an effective vaccine against the latest version of Covid-19.
Maybe Talbot can cut a deal with jurisdictions that are providing vaccinations, such as Garrett County, to vaccinate us. That would be a good system to implement.
Christine Martin says
I believe this is in part how West Virginia was so successful …public/private partnerships developed well in advance.
Charlie Bohn says
Well said. The current approach is almost criminal. The elderly in particular are having a difficult time navigating the internet to find appointments. I put my self on several “lists” but have not heard from any offering a shot. In the meantime I was able to get a shot in the Salisbury Walmart and my wife at the Cambridge Walmart.
Wilson Wyatt says
The initial problem, of course, is not enough vaccine was ordered in December to vaccinate the nation. So, without enough available vaccine (still, today), it doesn’t matter how many potential providers of shots exist. Pharmacies would be excellent providers of shots…when they have enough vaccine to administer shots. I do agree, however, that the system in Talbot County and Maryland has been very confusing and terribly inadequate.
Sara says
Amen, brother!