Middle Tennessee pharmacies may not have COVID vaccines in stock, here’s why
“The COVID vaccine that was updated last fall, we are now running out,” said Dr. William Schaffner at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “But there will be a new COVID vaccine available this fall.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - If you are trying to get a COVID-19 vaccine, you may have trouble finding one. Lots of pharmacies are out of stock, which all comes as the country is seeing a rise in summer cases.
Working with clients like Dan + Shay is part of James Marsh’s job at Warner Chappell Music. Where they go, so does he.
“I’m around the artist, I’m around the band, I’m around the radio station people and I’m also around some of the audience,” he explained.
Marsh works at large stadium concerts with 50,000 to 60,000 people in the crowd. To stay healthy he scheduled an appointment to get a COVID-19 booster shot at a Vanderbilt Walk-In Clinic in Mt. Juliet on Monday.
“I was pulling up to the parking lot and a lady called and said, ‘Are you coming in for a booster shot?’” Marsh said. “I said ‘yeah,’ and she said, ‘Well we don’t have any.’”
He said he then called Publix, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens, and urgent care, but they also did not have any booster shots.
WSMV4 called local pharmacies in West Nashville on Tuesday. We found out Walgreens, Kroger and Vanderbilt Walk-In Clinic did not have any more left. However, CVS and Publix had a limited supply.
“The COVID vaccine that was updated last fall, we are now running out,” said Dr. William Schaffner at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “But there will be a new COVID vaccine available this fall.”
He said that come September or October there will be new boosters. You can still get last year’s supply for protection if you can find it. But with fewer people taking advantage, fewer doses are made, which is why it is not widely available as summer cases start to rise.
“It’s truly a concern,” said Dr. Schaffner. “And what we have been telling people who are in these high-risk populations (the older people, people with underlying illnesses, the immune compromise) is get your mask again.”
As for Marsh, he said he will call around the Nashville area and see if he can get his hands on the final few this season.
“All the news media said COVID is on the rise and here I am trying to prevent myself from getting COVID and passing it on to someone and I can’t protect myself or the people around me, so I think it kind of sucks,” said Marsh.
To ensure your pharmacy has a COVID-19 vaccine available, give them a call before you go.
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