Pharmacies' share of vaccine paused
Oklahoma health officials have stopped sending a portion of the state's COVID-19 vaccines to pharmacies contracted to administer doses to some of the state's most vulnerable residents.
Keith Reed, Oklahoma' s deputy commissioner of health, said this is a temporary pause in vaccine allocations to allow CVS Health and Walgreens to catch up on the doses set aside for residents and staff in long-term care facilities.
In a legislative budget hearing last week, state health officials blasted the pharmacy chains for the pace at which long-term care residents have been vaccinated as Oklahoma lawmakers questioned why the vaccine roll out to vulnerable communities is taking longer than expected.
Neither CVS nor Walgreens responded to requests for comment or questions about how far along the companies are in vaccinating Oklahoma's long-term care residents and staff.
Health Commissioner Dr. Lance Frye on Wednesday said the pharmacy chains are not providing much information on how many Oklahomans they've vaccinated.
“We have not been satisfied with CVS and Walgreens,” he told members of the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Health. “We've really put a lot of pressure on them over the last few weeks and it's helped. They've increased their scheduling.”
When state officials announced the start of COVID- 1 9 vaccinations at nursing homes, a representative from CVS Health said she expected all residents and
staff nationwide would be offered a first dose within three weeks. In a January news release, the company said it expected to complete first doses at skilled nursing facilities by Jan. 25.
Now, the pharmacy chains estimate they will complete first doses at all of Oklahoma's nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other group homes by the first week in February, Reed said.
Previously, the companies said some Oklahoma longterm care facilities wouldn't receive first doses until March, he said.
“We're not sending them any more (doses), until we see that they are getting into a situation that they are starting to run low on vaccine,” Reed said. “We're not going to give it to them so it can sit in a freezer, because that's what's happening.”
State health officials want to quickly administer doses in the hope that demonstrating a speedy and efficient distribution process might persuade the federal government to send Oklahoma larger vaccine shipments. Oklahoma has ranked among the top states for vaccine distribution, but state health officials worry CVS and Walgreens' slower-thanexpected vaccine rollout could hurt overall vaccine allotments.
In partnership with the federal government, CVS and Walgreens pharmacy technicians are administering the vaccines in nursing homes and group homes.
Nearly 1 00,000 doses, or roughly 20% of the vaccines allocated to Oklahoma, were set aside for CVS and Walgreens.
Earlier this month, the State Department of Health took back 2,500 vaccines allocated to CVS so the agency could administer vaccines at staterun veterans centers.
Nearly 600 Oklahoma long-term care facilities opted into the federal vaccination program with the pharmacy chains. The state has administered first doses at all of the 177 facilities that did not opt into the federal program.
In the legislative hearing, Re p.M arc usMc Entire, R-Duncan, questioned why Oklahoma seems to be the only state having difficulties communicating with CVS and Walgreens.
“Somewhere, the ball was dropped,” McEntire said. “I don't know where, but we've got to make the best of it as quickly as possible.”
Reed defended the State Department of Health, and said on a call with the governors of all 50 states he heard numerous complaints about vaccine delays and the lack of communication from CVS and Walgreens.
Oklahoma's nursing homes and veterans centers have seen some of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks.
More than 11,000 residents and staff in long-term care facilities have contracted the virus. More than 900 of those Oklahomans have died, representing nearly 30% of the state's COVID-19 deaths.
Reporter Carmen Forman covers state government, politics and the COVID-19 pandemic for The Oklahoman. Send story tips to cforman@oklahoman.com or connect on Twitter with @ CarmenMForman. Support the work of Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a print or digital subscription today at oklahoman.com/subscribe.