Vaccine distribution nationwide continues to ramp up, with nearly 2-million shots being given daily. President Biden has now said that every adult could be vaccinated by the end of May. A big promise that brings with it hope, a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. That said, the question remains; when will COVID vaccination be as simple as getting a flu shot? Many of the doses currently being given are at mass-vaccination sites. Will local and national pharmacies be able to simplify the process?

The government still controls the supply and distribution of COVID-19 shots said Rina Shah, PharmD, group vice president, for pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens in a Medscape interview. Right now there isn’t enough vaccine the way we have for flu. With the COVID-19 vaccine, there’s still inventory that continues to build and every week it gets better and better.

The government bought the vaccine, which is great because it’s free then to all customers, which is what we want, because cost is a barrier to some individuals getting a vaccine. Every week we find out from the federal government and CDC how much vaccine we’re going to get. Bottom line, the end is near, and it should hopefully be a happy one!

Stay the course, stay well, mask up, get vaccinated, and stay tuned!