Pharmacy chains deal with COVID-19 vaccine, seasonal flu shot traffic

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

If you’ve attempted to get either an updated COVID-19 vaccine or seasonal flu shot at a Valley pharmacy in the past couple of weeks, you probably noticed things seemed busy.

Large chain pharmacy staff find themselves in the same situation as they were in late in fall 2022: Arizonans seeking both types of shots at the same time, making pharmacies both more crowded and staff needing to both help answer complex insurance questions and determine which exact injections each patient seeks, needs and can likely tolerate.

When the Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of two new COVID-19 vaccines on Sept. 11, both of the chains with the most stores in Arizona immediately made nationwide plans to offer them.

However, it seemed difficult for the chains to instantly ramp up needed resources — especially the number of employees — needed to efficiently get the vaccine into the arms of Arizonans, especially Valley residents.

Long lines and angry customers and patients could be seen and heard at pharmacies across the Valley. In some cases, even patients who have appointment times and have checked in for appointments online have had to wait more than one hour past a scheduled time to get vaccinated.

CVS spokesman Matt Blanchette said staffing is important, but so is receiving either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines in a timely manner.
“We’re receiving updated COVID-19 vaccines from suppliers on a rolling basis, and most of our locations can honor scheduled appointments,” Blanchette said. “However, due to delivery delays, some appointments may be rescheduled.”

CVS has 186 stores in Arizona, including nine in Peoria and five each in Glendale and Surprise. Walgreens, with 247 stores statewide, has nine stories in Glendale, two in Sun City and one in Sun City West.
Walgreens announced on its website its national rollout was to begin Monday, Sept. 18. In response to staffing questions, the company provided a brief statement.

“For the best experience, patients are encouraged to schedule an appointment in advance,” the company said. “Walgreens.com and the Walgreens app will continue to be updated to reflect availability.”

The FDA decision, the agency told the Associated Press, hopes to rev up protection against the latest coronavirus strains and blunt any surge this fall and winter. The decision opened up the floodgates to those seeking the newest shots from Moderna and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech to most Americans even if they’ve never had a coronavirus vaccination, it said in a statement.

The FDA said that’s part of a shift to treat fall updates of the COVID-19 vaccine much like getting a yearly flu shot. However, at the moment, a seasonal flu vaccine is still being injected separately from the newly approved COVID vaccines.

“The new mRNA vaccines are formulated to more closely target currently circulating variants and to provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, according to the FDA,” Blanchette said.

That’s why the simple-looking CDC cards — some of which were completely filled, front and back, with previous vaccine or booster date and location information, are no longer part of the process, Blanchette said.

Instead, pharmacists are offering printed or digital records of each new immunization.

“Patients can have an immunization record printed, emailed, and a personalized health dashboard at care.cvs.com gives patients immediate access to vaccination records, medications and test results,” Blanchette said.

Blanchette said CVS is attempting to both keep hiring levels adequate and keep stores stocked with adequate supplies of items such as vaccines — both of which can have heavy impacts of public health.

As of Oct. 2, CVS showed 642 job openings in Arizona on its website, while Walgreens showed 490 openings in the state.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and will continue to offer additional appointments at those locations as supply is received,” Blanchette said.

Pharmacists and other drug store and medical staff are needed not only for administering vaccines and running the store, but also for tasks like communicating with customers about insurance coverage and co-pays.

Most American insurance carriers have picked up the cost of COVID vaccines, Blanchette said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ website says all COVID vaccines are “safe, effective and free.” The Centers for Disease Control also have a fact page at cdc.gov.

“The updated COVID-19 vaccine is available at no cost through most insurance plans,” Blanchette said. “But, it’s always a good idea to check with your insurance plan.”

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.