Two big developments this week have turned the tables on the more efficient way to get folks vaccinated. The FDA is now allowing the Pfizer vaccine to be stored at normal freezer temperatures (just like Moderna) and we now have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which is uber-flexible and requires just refrigerator storage temps.
With these new developments, the most efficient way to get folks vaccinated is to decentralize vaccine allocations toward clinics, community health centers pharmacies, and primary care offices. That means we need to prioritize vaccine allocations toward community vaccinators and away from any additional (or expanding current) mega-sites.
At the beginning of the COVID vaccination effort, it made some sense to set up mega-sites. That’s because the Pfizer vaccine lended itself to mass-vax sites because of the restrictive cold-holding temperature requirements and the fact that employment groups like healthcare workers and teachers were prioritized.
Last week’s 2 big developments re J&J and Pfizer have turned the tables.
At first blush, vaccination mega-sites might seem like a logical and efficient solution to vaccinating large numbers of people. They make for dramatic television footage and look impressive. But are they really the most efficient way to get vaccine out? Not any more.
Look at it this way… there are about 1,500 pharmacies in Arizona, most located a short distance from people’s homes. Let’s say we could get 1,000 of them to participate in COVID vaccinations now that all 3 of the vaccines are so much more flexible to store and use.
Imagine for a moment that each pharmacy can vaccinate 50 people per day (not a big ask). That equals a capacity to vaccinate 50,000 people per day or 350,000 vaccinations per week – all happening near people’s homes.
Compare that to state government’s flagship mega-site which is vaccinating about 6,000 people per day. Even if they could really expand to 10,000 per day, why would you prioritize allocation of vaccine to more mega-sites where people need to book appointments on a complex website with limited slots when you could instead prioritize the vaccine to thousands of pharmacies, clinics and doctors offices.
The short answer is that the state government has established a brand at the mass vaccination sites that they see as helping their image. I expect them to continue to prioritize vaccine allocations toward the mega-sites at the expense of community vaccinators like clinics and pharmacies because the mega sites get favorable press coverage.
However, if state government would take a cold hard look at what’s most efficient, they would see that prioritizing vaccine toward pharmacies and clinics is actually the best way to go.
Fortunately, the federal government recognizes the value in getting vaccine directly to pharmacies and community health centers with the implementation of their federal pharmacy and FQHC direct shipment systems.
See our blog post entitled Federal Pharmacy Program Making Significant Inroads Toward Vaccine Access
