Wasn't the original Trump Administration plan to push distribution through local pharmacies? And wasn't that plan panned by progressives because it didn't adequately reach "underserved" populations who didn't have a Rite-Aid or CVS near them? The mean, racist Trumpistas were ignoring minorities and leaving them to die.

Um, woke-ese question that forgets to ask: "How many poor people live near or have transportation to stadiums, convention centers, and the like?"

Probably lots. After all, most of the mass transit systems in cities across the US seem to be geared to get people to the big-money venues, like sports stadia, convention centers, and the like; less so to places like universities, museums, and libraries.

Probably lots. After all, most of the mass transit systems in cities across the US seem to be geared to get people to the big-money venues, like sports stadia, convention centers, and the like; less so to places like universities, museums, and libraries.

Conan the Grammarian at April 5, 2021 5:17 AM

Most elderly people ( those most in need of the vaccine) have a pre existing relationship with some sort of pharmacy.

I suspect very few of the target population are going to want to spend hours on public transportation followed by more hours of paperwork, and waiting in line twice to get the two shots they need.
I went to my local Air Force base and the process was pretty daunting.
It was a lousy set up for anyone elderly or with mobility issues.

I suspect very few of the target population are going to want to spend hours on public transportation followed by more hours of paperwork, and waiting in line twice to get the two shots they need. ~ Isab at April 5, 2021 7:23 AM

I suspect you're right. And I suspect that it being troublesome to get to a "central" facility would discourage many who need it from getting the shots. As you put it, most elderly will have an existing relationship with a pharmacy.

My 90-something uncle got his shot early. I took him to the medical office of a local healthcare provider -- they'd set one up in a recently-closed facility of theirs -- and he was in and out in less than 20 minutes. Despite the speed of access once at the facility. it was in an inconvenient location for the non-driving elderly who did not have a ride provider. So, I can only imagine the inconvenience in store for those trying to get a shot in a "central" facility.

I talked to a CSR on the phone when making his appointment and the guy all but admitted that using this facility was for the convenience of the provider, not the patient. It was empty and they were still paying rent on it, so why not use it for the shots?

Using a "central" facility is for the convenience of the provider, not the patient. Providers, government or private, only have to deliver the vaccine to one location, not coordinate inventory over dozens of locations.

On the other hand, coordinating inventory over dozens of locations is what retail companies do every day. They're set up for it. Why not let them do what they do best, deliver things to customers.

Another option to consider for all this is that the more the unnecessary bureaucratic hoops, the bigger the chances of graft slipping through the cracks.

The convention center by me has been used on weekends. It does not have mass transit on weekends. Nearest is roughly a 1mile walk. On week days there is occasional bus service right out on the street focused on the rush hour times. We don't have any big name teams so there aren't any big places to hold these things.

Then again, most of those venues are deliberately located in poor areas. It's the result of "Not In My Backyard" syndrome. Kind of like routing interstate highways through poor neighborhoods.

I agree that pharmacies are a very useful component of the vaccination program. It's familiar and convenient for most people. However, they have so few appointments that you have to spend hours, over days, to finally get an appointment. My sister-in-law spent most of several days last week trying to get an appointment for her son (he's disabled).

On the other hand, venues large enough to handle large numbers of people every day are also useful. My daughter at college doesn't have a car and the pharmacies in walking distance (about a mile away) only had a handful of appointments available each day. It's a small school without a student health center. When a mass vaccination clinic opened up about 5 miles away, I asked the school if they would consider offering shuttle transportation. It turns out they were already making arrangements for their students to get vaccinated en masse at the site as well as shuttle buses to get them there.

Mass vaccination sites are just starting. Like any new program, including vaccinations at pharmacies, there are logistics that need to be worked out as unexpected problems arise. Give them some time. They have their own useful place in the overall vaccination program.

I was also wondering about not using local pharmacies for vaccines, but apparently not many local pharmacies had the freezers needed for the first batch of vaccines and the government wasn't subsidizing buying (or renting?) them. Since I went on medicare, my doctor stopped giving me my flu shot - I went to CVS. But flu shots don't have to be super refrigerated. I do hope this will change as we learn more and innovate more, since it looks like booster shots for Covid may be needed eventually.