Any rumors about the being in talks yet?
I have not read anything but I would expect most companies would be at least in talks?
I am super behind and did not catch up but wanted to address 2 things:
-Insurance is billed a small administration fee for the vaccine. It pays for supplies & staff (like me) to give the shot.
-ID is often asked for as a way to bill the uninsured fund for an administration fee. I need a DL number or SSN to bill the fund.
-Pharmacies treat vaccines like a filled prescription, so their documentation standards may be different than your local health department.
-I donāt turn anyone away who shows up. We figure out a way to take care of it so that everyone gets their vaccine one way or another.
This doesnāt address hesitancy, but I did want to clarify that there are actual reasons that info is requested.
10 Likes
Anyone here read Gretchen Rubinās stuff on āThe Four Tendencies?ā While certainly not perfect, I think it has some insight into vaccines. She says people are divided primarily into 4 groups: Upholders, Obligers, Questioners, and Rebels. The Rebels are what I reference below.
There is a group of the population who will only get vaccinated on their own terms. Meaning they want to walk in somewhere, ask for a vaccine, get it immediately, and be done. We are thankfully getting to a point that this is becoming feasible.
Itās remarkable how many people I see on a daily basis who refuse to make an appointment. I had 3 just today. All were uninterested in scheduling (despite having openings in the next 5 days), but were totally willing to get one immediately. Hopefully we can start to capture more of this group soon. The vaccine waste this will entail sickens me though, considering the state of vaccinations around the world.
I gave 98 doses in 8 hours today though, so no walkins for me today 
11 Likes
I have one more soapbox/request:
If you know families who do not have English as their first language, please reach out to them to see if they need any assistance scheduling appointments or completing the paperwork. We did a clinic at a church with a Spanish language service a few weeks ago that was huge because their bilingual pastors assisted in completing the paperwork for these patients.
11 Likes
Where are you a pharmacist? Iām a pharmacist in Edmond, OK for an independent.
1 Like
You get any more of those, direct them to CVS or Walmart if theyāre in your area. CVS and Walmart are now taking walk ins. Not sure if this is the case all across the country but at this point somebody should be offering walk in vaccines now or very soon pretty much everywhere.
5 Likes
Iāve got friends on facebook talking about how their kids in the 12 - 15 yr old range can already schedule vaccines but from everything I see when I research it hasnāt been officially approved yet and canāt be scheduled, at least not in Maryland. Thoughts? My friend in S. Carolina insisted that it was a done deal that her 12 yr old can get a shot next week.
12-15 year olds cannot schedule here in PA. Maybe those states are being prepared for approval and jumping the gun?
I think this is it. They are assuming approval will happen next week and want to be ready. They can always reschedule the appts if the vaccine isnāt approved yet.
A lot of places no longer have wait lists so are trying desperately not to waste any doses. The quicker we get Americans handled, the sooner we can share more vaccines globally.
Places with less vaccine hesitancy may have enough 16+ demand they arenāt needing 12-15 to be approved yet to find arms. Where demand has slowed may be trying to fill appts.
It will be interesting to see if the dosing will be the same or not. I havenāt been paying that close of attention to the trials. I believe it was mentioned as part of the 5-11 trials as something they were looking at.
Yes, I know. I am a pharmacist at one of those stores. We are just too full to take them until next week.
My point was about the behavior/psychology of it 
3 Likes
Indiana. I work under CDTM in an outpatient clinic, but I took a second job to give COVID vaccines. Couldnāt sit by and not help
8 Likes
Has this been shared yet? Possible Pfizer for ages 2-11 in September!
8 Likes
We are sending translators to our local site. We have communicated with the families the days/times and the times are walk ins- wish us luck!
5 Likes
Question for all of you. I was reading an article this morning about the vaccination rates in the NE. I cannot share the article (I know it will be blocked) but it included this paragraph:
I know we talked about the reality that covid will always be here (most likely) but I am reading more and more of these types of articles that seem to be trying to raise an alarm.
Is the alarm valid?
3 Likes
I loved that book! Iām an obliger. According to his vaccine behavior, turns out my dad is a rebel. 
1 Like
I know Covid is not the flu, but flu and coronaviruses mutate. This was previously discussed, but I think that this is why boosters will be needed yearly, along with the flu vaccine. I hope they come up with one vaccine for both to make it easy. Iām not really alarmed by it, as I typically get flu vaccines every year and would more than likely get the Covid vaccine boosters as well. I really think the media needs to start to chill out some. Yes, we are not out of the woods, but we are not in as dire of a situation here in the US.
4 Likes
Me too! Turns out Iām an Obliger surrounded by Rebels (DH,DD, & DS). Go figure! Anyway weāre all vaccinated now, so thereās that.
2 Likes
I think the alarm is valid. We still donāt know the long term effects of covid and the more we learn the more it will sway those on the fence. Plus look at what is happening in India now when their cases and vaccinations were going so well last year.
3 Likes