LANCASTER, Pa. — October is prime time for parents to vaccinate their children against the flu and COVID-19 ahead of the winter season. However, local pharmacies might not have the desired vaccines in stock which is beginning to worry parents.
Pharmacies across central Pennsylvania are struggling to stock up on pediatric COVID-19 vaccines from suppliers like Pfizer and Moderna, including Lititz Apothecary in Lancaster County.
“You speak with Moderna directly, they say they have ample supply. However, the logistics have been a challenge. We put in an order on October 5 and here we are still saying ‘pending.’ and when we reach out they say, ‘It’ll be in by the end of the week.’ and it has been three weeks now,” said Dr. Chet Patel, a pharmacist and the owner of Lititz Apothecary.
Dr. John Goldman, an infectious disease specialist with UPMC, says the lack of order fulfillment is impacting patients.
“There are a lot of people who have had appointments for vaccines that were canceled, had to wait a fair amount of time, had to drive a fair distance to find an available vaccine,” said Dr. Goldman.
Factors like consumer demand could explain why suppliers aren’t fulfilling orders as timely.
“This is the first year we’ve done this without the government’s help. And there’s been questions as to how much demand there will be. And even if we knew the demand, the logistics of getting fifty to one hundred million shots in an arm is pretty difficult,” noted Dr. Goldman.
Dr. Goldman expects the COVID-19 virus to mutate and create new strains over the next several years. Current vaccines and boosters may not be able to protect people from new strains.
Dr. Patel says parents are likely to pay out of pocket for pediatric vaccines that their kids might not even get.
“Some insurances still won’t pay for it now, it’s challenging. We have to tell patients here that [they] have to get it at the doctor’s office,’ or they just won’t flat out cover it,” Dr. Patel said.
Matt Blanchette, the senior manager of retail communications for CVS, released the following statement:
We’ve seen consistent demand for the updated COVID-19 vaccine since its approval in September, and we’re well-positioned to meet patients’ vaccination needs throughout the season. Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine appointments for individuals aged five and above are available at CVS.com and via the CVS Pharmacy app, and for patients aged 18 months and above at MinuteClinic.com. The best way to determine if a specific location has vaccine appointments available is to utilize our digital tools which show real-time availability.
Rite Aid commented that they are not experiencing supply issues.