Biden Admin's Pharmacy Distribution Plan Undercuts RI Priorities - GoLocal Daily Vaccination Update

Biden Admin's Pharmacy Distribution Plan Undercuts RI Priorities - GoLocal Daily Vaccination Update

Thursday's GoLocal vaccination update provides the most up-to-date information and data on the Rhode Island vaccination program as well as emerging national and global developments.

 

1. Biden Plan Leaves "Extra Doses" to Chains

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The move by the Biden administration to push vaccine administration to pharmacy chains to increase vaccinations allows the pharmacies to solely decide what to do with “extra doses.”  The pharmacies have complete discretion on how to utilize them. In Rhode Island, Phase 1 priorities have included healthcare workers, people who live in high risk communities like Central Falls, and nursing home workers and residents.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “As pharmacies and groceries across the U.S. prepare to dispense COVID-19 vaccines to the public, their customers and workers are wondering what happens to extra doses left unused at day’s end—and who might get access to one. The companies say they are determined that no doses will go to waste, and are compiling wait lists and putting their own workers on standby in case extra shots become available.”

The 6,500 pharmacies in all 50 states—including those at CVS Health, Walmart, Walgreen and regional grocers—will get 1 million doses from the Biden administration starting Thursday.

“Retail pharmacies are taking varied approaches to extra doses, with some saying they’ll give priority to their employees while others say they’ll try to find takers among the public and only vaccinate employees as a last resort, if at all. Most companies say they will coordinate with local health officials to ensure additional doses get to the right recipients.

CVS and Walgreens, which will be the two biggest retail providers of vaccines, say they already have been vaccinating employees in small numbers with leftover doses that are set to expire and plan to continue as they vaccinate more broadly,” reports the WSJ.

 

 

2. More Than 80,000 Doses Unused in RI, Percentage of Doses Administered Drops Below 60%

RIDOH officials continue to struggle to get Rhode Islanders vaccinated. Federal supply continues to increase.

According to the CDC and updated on Thursday, RI has now:

Received 208,350 doses

Administered 124,962 doses

Of the vaccine doses received, RI has utilized 62% - More than 70,000 doses have not been utilized

Updated 2/11/2021