Written by Gus Saltonstall
The latest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine was approved last week to combat the disease. new virusBut you won’t have much luck finding it at independent pharmacies on the Upper West Side.
New versions of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines began rolling out Friday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the new shots for all Americans age 6 and older.
There were initially some questions about where to get the new vaccine; Maps created by the government You can now search for pharmacies near you that are selling the latest shot.
Here is a list of Upper West Side pharmacies with the latest vaccines available as of Wednesday.
- Walgreens, 4 Amsterdam Avenue
- 1889 Walgreens on Broadway
- CVS 200 West End Avenue
- 2069 Broadway Walgreens
- CVS Broadway 2182
- Walgreens at 380 Amsterdam Avenue
- CVS Amsterdam Avenue 540
- Walgreens at 609 Columbus Avenue
- CVS (2495 Broadway)
- Walgreens, 2522 Broadway
- CVS (743 Amsterdam Avenue)
- Walgreens, Broadway 2683
- CVS (2833 Broadway)
- Walgreens, Broadway 2864
You can check the intersections and stock status of the new coronavirus vaccine on the map. CVS and Walgreens pharmacies are part of a federal program that covers the cost, so shots are free at both pharmacies, regardless of insurance coverage.
— Click to use the map. here — First, please enter your postal code.
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The vaccination location map does not show independent pharmacies that carry the vaccine.
The Rag called six independent pharmacies in the UWS on Wednesday morning, none of which had the latest coronavirus vaccines.
“I keep ordering vaccines every day and I keep being told they’re out of stock, out of stock,” said Ivan Jordan, owner of Ivan Pharmacy on Columbus Avenue between 93rd and 94th Streets. Ta. “But it’s not just our pharmacy, it’s all the independent pharmacies in the area.”
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Jordan explained that since vaccine distribution changed from federal oversight to commercial oversight, it has become much more difficult to distribute vaccines to independent pharmacies.
“[Vaccine distribution] It’s now…commercial…and it will always cater to the big fish more than the small fish — and that’s the truth,” he said.
The shot, which protects against the new BA.2.86 variant, is the first version of a COVID-19 jab that the federal government does not buy directly from manufacturers and send to pharmacies. Vaccines are currently available on the commercial market. That means pharmacies must obtain vaccines through pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which manage vaccine distribution and are often owned or affiliated with the chain.
“We have names of people waiting, and most of them are seniors or people who would like to get vaccinated at a local pharmacy instead of a chain store, but we can’t because we don’t have the vaccine,” Jordan said. I did.
He pointed to the importance of the personal level of service that independent pharmacies can provide to their customers. “We make the experience more pleasant,” Jordan said during a conversation Wednesday morning, which included taking several breaks to assist customers on a first-name basis. .
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