Some pharmacies will provide COVID-19 vaccinations

Health department is free, other sources should be covered by insurance

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Tennessee is being hailed as one of the most successful states in the country at quickly administering the COVID-19 vaccine, having administered more than 50 percent of the vaccines received by the state.

“Tennessee’s COVID-19 vaccination plan prioritizes those most at risk of serious illness, and it is critical we protect our medically fragile senior citizens, who are at greater risk than other adults of needing hospitalization or dying if diagnosed with COVID-19,” Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP, said in a press release earlier this week.

Part of that plan to protect those medically fragile senior citizens has included getting vaccines to residents and staff members in long-term care facilities, falls under Phase 1a1 of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. According to the statistics provided by the Tennessee Health Department, approximately 68 percent of the state’s COVID-related deaths have occurred in residents over the age of 70, with more than 2,000 deaths having occurred among residents of long-term care facilities.  

While the federal government has contracted with the Walgreens and CVS corporate pharmacies to provide vaccines to residents in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, the state is now providing contracts with some local pharmacies to speed the process along.

Latessa Morris - Director Life Care Center of Sparta
Latessa Morris - Director Life Care Center of Sparta
LATESSA MORRIS

Latessa Morris, director at Life Care Center of Sparta, said  they began vaccinating residents, on Jan. 11, through a federal contract with CVS. Calls to NHC Healthcare of Sparta were not returned.

The two local pharmacies, Payless Family Pharmacy and Sparta Drug Center, both say they have not been contracted to help with area nursing homes but have registered with the state to be a vaccine provider once the state enters Phase 2 of their current plan.

BETH KIRBY

“Our pharmacy is not providing any vaccinations to local nursing homes,” Beth Kirby, pharmacist and manager of Sparta Drug Center, said. “We have registered with the state’s pandemic response team and also with the CDC through our pharmaceutical wholesaler, Cardinal Health. We are awaiting approval and receipt of COVID-19 vaccine, but do not have any firm dates at this time from either the state or CDC.”

JENNIFER TATUM-CRANFORD

Jennifer Cranford, owner and pharmacist at Payless Family Pharmacy, said her pharmacy has completed all of the steps necessary to begin administering vaccines immediately, but now it is a waiting game as they have no way of knowing when they will be sent the first doses.

“I secured a contract with the state, but we are not sure when we will receive our vaccines,” Cranford said. “We had to buy a special storage freezer and a digital data logger, both of which had to pass a state level test.”

Cranford said all her staff members who will be administering the immunizations have undergone special training and have passed their certification classes, and now they are all just waiting on the product to arrive at her pharmacy.

“When that will be released, we don’t know,” she said.

As for how residents can currently receive the vaccine until it becomes available at local pharmacies, the state of Tennessee has provided a website that can be used to check which phase each county across the state is in. The state warns that the availability of vaccines will vary by county as counties many counties may progress through COVID-19 vaccination phases at different times depending on supplies of vaccines and suggests using Gov. Bill Lee’s recently released online tool, found at  https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/county-vaccine-information/ to determine whether they are eligible to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

White County Health Department is now offering vaccines, while daily supplies last, to those individuals who are full under phases a1a1, 1a2, and 1b, as well as the age 75+ population. As there are a limited number of vaccines available, they are currently taking names and phone numbers of individuals who would like to be placed on a waiting list and promising they will receive a call back when vaccines available.

Cranford reiterated that the government is paying for the vaccine, however, the administration of that still has some cost, and those who are looking to pharmacies, or possibly even medical providers, rather than the local health department, will likely be able to use their insurance benefits, keeping the vaccine affordable, if not free, for all Tennesseans.

“Most medical insurance, and even some prescription policies, are covering these charges, but, unless there is a copay, most insurances will be covering 100 percent of the costs,” she said, explaining there are costs that come with staffing and supplies. “Hopefully, in the next few weeks our community will have options between the local pharmacies and our health department.”    

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