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Vaccination

Local Pharmacies Play Key Role in COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

John Mathew, a 76-year-old resident of West Mountain, was able to book an appointment for the coronavirus vaccine online at the Sherman IDA pharmacy on April 14. He received the AstraZeneca vaccine in the shoulder and is scheduled to return in July for his second shot. Pharmacy owner Sony Poulose, who was among the third wave of local pharmacies to receive permission to administer the vaccine, received an initial 200 doses of the vaccine on April 13 and has been vaccinating up to 50 people per day. Poulose emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated as soon as possible, particularly for those aged 55 and over with an Ontario health card, who can book appointments through the pharmacy's website or a vaccination management system.

Key Takeaways:

  • Local pharmacies, such as the Sherman IDA pharmacy, are playing a crucial role in the COVID-19 vaccination efforts, with some pharmacists administering up to 50 vaccinations per day.
  • Pharmacists are using the AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged 55 and over, but are lobbying the province to receive the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to increase their vaccination capacity.
  • The Ontario Pharmacists Association is advocating for the moderna or Pfizer vaccine to be made available to pharmacies, which would enable pharmacists to vaccinate people aged 18 and up.
  • The vaccine is administered in a small room in the pharmacy, and patients are monitored for 15 minutes after receiving the shot.
  • Pharmacists are trained to administer injections and find it to be a "pretty easy" process.
  • There is currently a shortage of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in the province, as of April 16.

Statistics:

  • 200 doses of the vaccine were received by the Sherman IDA pharmacy on April 13.
  • Up to 50 people per day are being vaccinated at the Pharmacy.
  • 20 people were vaccinated on the first day of vaccinations, according to pharmacy owner Sony Poulose.
  • 55 and over is the current age restriction for vaccination, but pharmacists are lobbying for a reduction to 18 and up once the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine is made available.
  • 15 minutes of monitoring time is required after each vaccination, during which patients are seated in the waiting area to check for any reactions.

Sources:

  • [N/A] (as the article does not explicitly state the source of the information)

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