TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tuesday, the White House announced it is sending out more COVID vaccine and sending some of it to neighborhood pharmacies but the question is when you’ll be able to walk in and get a COVID shot.
Up to now, most vaccinations in Arizona have happened at mass vaccination sites where people drive up for their shots. In Pima County, COVID vaccinations are still limited to education workers, first responders and people at least 75 years old.
Now, the White House has announced that starting this week it will add 10.5 million doses to vaccine supplies nationwide---and send a share of that to retail pharmacies as soon as February 11th.
Based on decisions from the Arizona Health Department, Pima County already expects COVID vaccinations at pharmacies in four local Fry’s and two Safeways but the local chains have not confirmed when they’ll open vaccination appointments. Doctor Francisco Garcia of Pima County says the County’s still in the dark on when those vaccines will really arrive.
“The White House and the federal government are saying all the right things, and the real question is, what is the reality on the ground.”
He says he’s hopeful, he’s optimistic, that new national strategies will pay off.
“But, I would be lying to you if I were to say that all of a sudden we have, you know, 30,000 more vaccines in Pima County because of it.”
And he says with more vaccine they can work through any other challenges.
“We're not gonna sit on our hands. If we have vaccine stock, we will put it into people's hands we will figure out the finances, we will figure out the staffing. At the end of the day, it's all about vaccine stock.”
