$5,000 a booster to vaccine effort
Commissioners help Boyertown pharmacy with clinic expenses
The Medicine Shoppe in Boyertown has been at the forefront of the effort to get COVID-19 vaccines into the arms of as many people as possible.
For the past two weeks the pharmacy has received the most vaccine of all providers in Berks County, and the state Department of Health has given it the OK to expand its effort.
The pharmacy has vaccinated thousands, some at the pharmacy but most through clinics being held at Boyertown High School. But to keep up the pace, to continue to meet the seemingly never-ending demand, help is needed.
On Thursday, the Berks County commissioners offered that support.
They agreed to foot the bill for The Medicine Shoppe to bring five nurses on board who will help to administer vaccines. While the nurses are volunteering their services, the move will increase the pharmacy’s liability insurance payment by $5,000.
That cost will be now be covered by the county.
Ed Hudon, the owner of the pharmacy, said he was grateful for the help.
“This will help make us more efficient so that we can handle the volume of people that need to be cycled through for their vaccinations,” he said. “It will actually help us increase our output quite a bit.”
“We are working with all the providers to do what we can to make sure they can continue their efforts to get our county residents fully vaccinated.” — Commissioner Kevin S. Barnhardt
Commissioner Kevin S. Barnhardt, who leads the COVID community vaccination task force, said the county was happy to offer assistance. He said the county has reached out to all the vaccination providers in the county to see if commissioners can lend a hand.
“We’re helping where we can,” he said. “We are working with all the providers to do what we can to make sure they can continue their efforts to get our county residents fully vaccinated.”
For instance, Barnhardt said the county picked up the tab for traffic control last week at the Berks County Intermediate Unit clinic that was held for school staff members.
“If there are pressure points, we will take a look at how we can alleviate some of that pressure to make sure things go as smoothly as possible,” he said.