Updated COVID-19 booster shot tough to come by in parts of Central Alabama
For some, it may feel like the early days of the pandemic all over again, as doses of the new COVID-19 booster shot are hard to find in some places.
"There is quite a bit of demand," Jim Parekh said.
Parekh is the owner and pharmacist at Cahaba Pharmacy. He said the phone calls are coming in pretty frequently from people looking for the updated COVID-19 booster shot.
It's sort of reminiscent of early 2021 when the vaccines first rolled out.
"We are trying to keep a tab of the patients who have called, and hopefully very soon, we'll be able to call some of those patients back saying we have the vaccination, if they still need it," Parekh said.
The Alabama Department of Public Health said the problem isn't with the supply from manufacturers like it was before. Instead, it's how the vaccines are ordered.
Before, the government bought the doses and shipped them out.
"They shipped it just on demand, and now it's a more complicated process of ordering and purchasing the vaccine," Dr. Wes Stubblefield said. "Stocking it, delivering it. You know, getting paid for it."
Parekh said he's experiencing those changes first-hand.
"And now it's going through warehouses that might not be used to carrying these products also," Parekh said.鈥傗傗傗傗傗傗傗傗傗傗傗�
The state's health department is urging patience.
"Not every place is planning on stocking it," Stubblefield pointed out. "The places that do plan on stocking it may not provide coverage for every insurance. You may have to go to an in-network provider."
It's unclear how many doses each pharmacy will receive once its order is processed.