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* WBEZ…
Four weeks into COVID-19 vaccinations at Illinois nursing homes, nearly 80% of the doses for the campaign are waiting for use, but the pharmacy chains performing the work say everything is going according to plan.
CVS Health and Walgreens have administered only 110,403 of the 550,050 doses that Illinois has received for residents and staff members of long-term care facilities, according to state public-health data posted Monday. […]
“The distribution of the vaccines to long-term care settings, where the most vulnerable population resides, is not fast enough and it must, must improve,” said Karen Messer, head of LeadingAge Illinois, which lobbies for 380 congregate-care sites, mostly nonprofits. […]
“You have a captive population in these facilities,” said [Dr. Ronald Hershow, who directs epidemiology and biostatistics in the University of Illinois at Chicago’s School of Public Health], who serves on a team advising IDPH on its COVID-19 responses. “It doesn’t seem like it should be as logistically difficult as [vaccinating] the general population.” […]
“Our effort to administer COVID-19 vaccine to the long-term care community in Illinois is going according to plan and in close coordination with the state,” the CVS statement said.
The feds set up this public-private partnership program without apparently making sure that Walgreens and CVS had the capability to actually fulfill their duties (typical DC during this entire farce). The state mandated that the pharmacy companies vaccinate residents/staff of skilled nursing home residents first because that’s where the greatest fatality rates are. The effort started a month ago. The pharmacy chains finally finished the first round in those skilled nursing home facilities only yesterday, according to the governor’s office. And there’s a whole lot more to go, as is evidenced by the fact that only a fifth of available doses have been administered. For them to say that things are going as planned is simply ludicrous. Nobody planned on this unconscionable delay.
The pharmacies have been so slow, in fact, that the state decided to vaccinate residents of state veterans’ homes and some DHS facilities itself rather than wait on Walgreens and CVS.
If you can’t handle the task, ask for help, for crying out loud. And stop pointing fingers and obfuscating the issue. The problem lies with y’all. Get on it.
The feds either need to immediately step in and revisit these contracts or make sure the companies get the help they need.
Ridiculous.
…Adding… Florida…
After nearly three weeks of vaccinating residents and staff at Florida long-term care facilities, CVS and Walgreens will no longer be part of those inoculations, according to an update from the state Agency for Health Care Administration.
There are more than 321,000 residents and staff at those facilities across Florida, according to the AHCA. In late December, CVS and Walgreens pharmacies were selected by the federal government to help vaccinate these vulnerable populations. However, beginning Jan. 23 vaccinations at LTCs were taken over by a state-run program.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 11:36 am
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It’s going to take years to fully find out how many companies profited from this pandemic because of the previous administration’s insistence that all public activities go through a private company.
Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 11:47 am
Just a couple of general observstions. Some states are doing better than others on the roll-out. Relatives in Georgia in the 65+ category have gotten their first dose.
Some counties in Illinois are doing better than others; in Sangamon County they have backed off from 65+ (even with risk factors) to only 85+ because of a shortage of vaccine.
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 11:48 am
My wife work at a nursing home complex and got her second shot this last Saturday 23rd and we are from White County, so maybe it just in certain areas of the state that it did not go good, maybe?
Comment by 13TH Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 11:54 am
A local SC mayor called in the real pro’s…
Chic Fil A manager Jerry Walkowiak donating his professional drive-thru experience to help our vaccination program in Mt Pleasant today. When you need help, call the pros.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 11:58 am
Broke: letting CVS and Walgreens handle vaccine distribution.
Woke: yelling at them when they mess it up.
Bespoke: massively investing in state infrastructure to reverse decades of neoliberal erosion, so you don’t have to depend on CVS and Walgreens during the worst public health crisis in a century.
Comment by Quibbler Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 12:02 pm
There are two areas where it made sense to mobilize the National Guard - to handle all of the LTC Facilities quickly and then to staff mass vaccination sites in underserved areas where you don’t have the medical backbone in the community. On a per capita basis, there are only 9 states that have administered less doses than IL per the CDC website.
Comment by Smalls Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 12:07 pm
The new Administration has announced its plan to set up mass vaccination sites (through FEMA), and employ the National Guard.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/01/22/biden-vaccine-mass-sites/
Comment by dbk Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 12:11 pm
This is a good job for The National Guard.
Comment by Thomas Paine Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 12:19 pm
Hire a con man, expect to get conned.
Thank God the adults are now in charge.
Comment by Northsider Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 12:24 pm
Just signed up for the new version of notification for Sangamon County. Still can’t get an appointment but we might get told when there could be appointments.
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 12:36 pm
I wonder if it is time to have a conversation about expanding ’scope of practice’ temporarily and letting some folks further down the chain give injections with additional training?
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 12:49 pm
NIU Grad -The State’s record running Veterans homes doesn’t make your argument. Nothing superior about State run.
Comment by midway gardens Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 12:52 pm
Just got my appointments for shots in Springfield for next month. Easy Peasy.
Comment by East Sangamon Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 12:54 pm
Someone needs to tell Chapin Rose this.. He’s complaining about the state slowly rolling out the vaccines to LTCs.
I think Chapin knows better - but then again.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 1:44 pm
Anonymous, funny you mention selfies. When my wife was administering the vaccine during the early days at a hospital, most staff wanted their picture taken getting the shot. To show it was safe and to reassure their families.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 1:46 pm
West Virginia contracted with all pharmacies and they had all nursing home residents vaccinated with the first shot by Dec 30.
Comment by Trying to be Rational Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 1:51 pm
That’s because West Virginia opted out of the Walgreens/CVS plan, as both chains operate very few locations in the state. So they relied on the locals, and they got it done better than the big boys could.
For the past several days, attempts to schedule a vaccination at a Walgreens anywhere around Chicago have been futile. They book up to six days out, allegedly, with a day opening up right around midnight. This means that the site won’t load at midnight. By the time it does load, around 12:10-12:15, every Walgreens in and around Chicago has no appointments available for the day.
Comment by Roadrager Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 2:01 pm
thank god cvs has aggressively worked to rid the state of smaller independent pharmacies though their predatory pbms. the independent pharmacies are right there in the community and very able to get shots in arms. the fact that they have not been more fully engaged into the state vaccination plan is unfortunate. im hopeful that the state will see that the current effort is not working, and that IDPH will get the independent pharmacies involved.
Comment by snow thrower Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 2:18 pm
Chain pharmacies are publicly traded companies that worry about stock prices not health care or pharmacists that work there: Walgreens sells cigarettes and alcohol for Pete’s sake. Can you imagine any other health care setting doing this? All the independents (at least those left) should be recruited. In addition, all pharmacy students, nursing students and medical students can give a simple IM injection. Get the vaccine to where it can be given. UIC pharmacy students (certified to give vaccines) administer flu shots to all UIC employees - one year they did all State employees in Chicago.
Comment by Dr. Pepper Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 2:37 pm
=For the past several days, attempts to schedule a vaccination at a Walgreens anywhere around Chicago have been futile.=
Our experience exactly.
I’m getting messages from my doc through MyChart saying to sign up at the pharmacy, but (in Chicago) you can’t make an appointment.
He’s going to do vaccinations in his office.
As soon as he gets vaccine.
Meanwhile, the new variant’s in Chicago.
And the bars and restaurants are open.
Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 2:43 pm
National Guard is handling the mass sites like in Tinley Park that is doing somewhere in the range of 3,000/day when they get up and running. More of this please.
Imagine they allowed vets / vet techs who can handle giving thrashing animals shots, they could triple the number of people qualified to give the vaccine in a few weeks.
Comment by Dee Lay Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 2:56 pm
The big box pharmacies have been excellent at telling the market what to decide that best fits their bottom lines; they operate on minimal staffing like a fast food store. I’ve heard “optimal” (least errors, time to do it right) pharmacist workload is 200 scripts per shift, the bigs usually have their people do triple that.
When was the last time you went to one and got your script in 5-10 minutes? They don’t staff enough for normal workloads, why would we expect them to have enough pharmacists to handle vaccinations at an off-premises location?
Comment by Shark Sandwich Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 3:03 pm
Put blame where it should be. The Governor is in charge. He opens up 3 million people knowing he will not get that much vaccine. The States are in charge.
Comment by Boomer Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 3:04 pm
Boomer: I hope you are kidding because, reread the article…
Comment by Loop Lady Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 3:20 pm
“The invisible hand of the market fails to deliver injections” - Least surprising headline of 2021
Comment by Urbana Dad Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 3:53 pm
Why would we expect the vaccination plan to start off good when we are nearly a year into the pandemic and you still cannot get wide access to rapid tests. There had better be a deep dive debriefing after the pandemic is over because the United States was totally unprepared and incapable of competently and adequately responding to it. We should have been the example for what to do for the world. Instead we’ve been an example of exactly what not to do.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 4:34 pm
Walgreens set to name Starbucks COO as next CEO - sort of says it all, eh? Ben Franklin (if any remembers that store) with a pharmacy in the back…..and now I guess a coffee bar.
Comment by Dr. Pepper Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 5:37 pm
It’s almost like capitalism doesn’t always work every time
Comment by Ron Desantis’s right hand Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 6:07 pm
Love today’s Trib headline:
“Vaccine appointments available at pharmacies”
Note to Lisa Schencker:
You……cannot…….get…….an…….appointment(exclamation point)
(in Chicago)
Comment by TinyDancer(FKASue) Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 8:07 pm
Same problem in Michigan. Interestingly enough, West Virginia got it right. Opted out of the CVS/Walgreens plan and worked with the local pharmacies that already had relationships with local nursing homes. Got the job done. https://www.mcknights.com/news/the-leader-in-vaccinations-is-west-virginia-yes-and-heres-why/
Comment by AnnieH Tuesday, Jan 26, 21 @ 8:52 pm
I could not agree more. Walgreens in particular is a dying dinosaur, more concerned about publicity around their role than actually performing it. They should not be allowed to use this public health crisis as a way to pump up their failed business model nor be a chokepoint for this invaluable treatment.
Comment by DougChicago Wednesday, Jan 27, 21 @ 8:48 am