The Supply.....

Two days ago I stopped at our local Walgreens to pick up a prescription. While I was there I asked the pharmacist if they had "senior" flu shots and he said "No." He went on to say that their first supply ran out in three days and then, last week they got 80 vaccines and those ran out in a matter of days. I asked if the pharmacy could call when they got their next batch and he apologized but said that was simply impossible due to the number of seniors who had asked the same question. He went on to say that he hoped to get another supply "maybe" in about ten days....that was a corporate decision.

Hmmmmm.......so I drove home and told Dave we'd have to wait for awhile, but if we couldn't find the recommended senior dosage pretty soon we'd have to just get the regular flu shot this year. Then, that same evening, my neighbor texted that she was able to get her senior shot at our local Walmart.

Early the next morning we jumped in the car and drove on over.....arriving just before the pharmacy section opened. We were the first two "in line", filled out the paperwork, got our shots and were back out the door and on the way home within 30 minutes. Here again the pharmacist said they'd received 60 doses the day before and she expected they would soon run out.

There are thousands of seniors living in Port and the surrounding communities. Thousands of us who believe in the efficacy of vaccines and get our annual flu shots without fail. 

So I began to wonder about the supply chain and just how "corporate" decides that 60 or 80 doses would be a good number and then another bunch could go out maybe two weeks later? And I began to wonder just what the supply chain would look like when there is a tested and approved COVID-19 vaccine maybe sometime in 2021. Just how long would it take for all of us who would feel comfortable doing so could actually get our shot?

If the delivery of senior flu vaccine is this haphazard I can only imagine.....