Winter weather delays vaccination efforts

While the winter weather storm have played havoc with enormous snow and ice and record- setting low temperatures in Arkansas and across the mid- south of the U. S., several pharmacies have not been able to distribute the vaccine.

There is still a shortage of supplies for vaccines and the extreme winter weather has caused a delay to ship doses to pharmacies. Shelyn Davis, owner and pharmacy manager at Community Care RX Pharmacy in Malvern mentioned the winter snow storm has pushed back shipments of vaccine and medicine supplies for the pharmacy.

Davis said she still does not have enough vaccine doses to distribute to customers at this time. She added, the pharmacy decided to not give any vaccine doses until next week. The pharmacy has been open but closed early due to the weather. She also mentioned the pharmacy will start back its vaccine distribution process to customers next week on Monday. She felt it was convenient to push back a week for distributing vaccine for those who were scheduled to receive it and the second dose due to the weather.

Other pharmacies in the county such as Frontier Pharmacy in Bismarck and Walgreens have closed their pharmacy during the week due to the winter weather. Melanie Overlery, owner of Frontier Pharmacy in Bismarck mentioned its pharmacy has been approved for the vaccine distribution but still has not given any doses due to the shortage of supplies of vaccines.

The pharmacy is still drive- through only and store hours are from 9 a. m. until 6 p. m. Monday through Friday.

Also Walgreens pharmacy has been temporarily closed this week due to the weather, but the pharmacy plans to reopen to its regular hours of operation Monday through Friday— 8 a. m. until 10 p. m., Saturday from 9 a. m. until 6 p. m. and Sunday at 10 a. m. until 6 p. m.