(Newer)
When Charlome Pierce searched in January where her 96-year-old father could get a COVID vaccine, she found no options near their home in Virginia. The lonely medical clinic in Surry County had nothing, and the last pharmacy in an area with about 6,500 residents closed years ago. Some residents took a ferry across the James River to cities like Williamsburg to get their chance. Others drove more than an hour to reach a medical facility that offered the vaccine. At one point, Pierce heard about a state-run vaccination event 45 minutes later – but there were no more appointments available, and it was expected to wait up to seven hours. As the country’s campaign against the coronavirus moves from mass vaccination sites to pharmacies and doctors’ offices, the vaccination remains a challenge for residents of ‘pharmacy deserts’, communities without pharmacies or well-equipped health clinics, leaving a “vaccine empty”. the AP.
To improve access, the federal government has partnered with 21 companies that operate freelance pharmacies or pharmacy services in grocery stores and other locations. More than 40,000 stores are expected to participate, and the Biden government said nearly 90% of Americans live within 8 miles of one. However, there are gaps on the map: more than 400 rural provinces with a combined population of almost 2.5 million people do not have a retail pharmacy included in the partnership. Challenges to obtaining a vaccine shot near the home are also not limited to rural areas: according to a study, there is a relative lack of medical facilities in some urban areas. Pierce, who did secure a vaccine for her father in a February clinic at a high school in Dendron, says people are not harming it. “You should not be marginalized by your zip code,” she says. Lots more here.
(Read more stories about coronavirus vaccination.)