Hundreds of people in Carroll County who are either over the age of 70 or school employees got their first Covid-19 vaccination the week starting Jan. 18. But limited supplies of vaccines means that thousands more people are on waiting lists at one of the four pharmacies in Carroll County providing vaccine shots.
Dr. Dan Bell said the ECHO drive-through vaccination clinic on Jan. 19 went great.
“We had a team of about fifteen volunteers who gave shots, helped with paperwork and observed people for adverse reactions after the shots,” Bell said. “It went well and there were no adverse reactions. We were able to get eleven doses out of every ten-dose Moderna vial. We ended up giving 282 shots. We have to keep track of who we have given it to in order to know when they will need their second shot. Now we are waiting on the next distributions of vaccines. The state won’t tell us when the next vaccines are coming or how many. The state knows that, but won’t respond. We are a little disappointed in the lack of communications with the state.”
ECHO is working in cooperation with Smith Drug in Eureka Springs to deliver the free shots. Right now, there are about 1,100 people on the waiting list at Smith Drug.
The vaccine shortages are not limited to Carroll County, or Arkansas, but are a nationwide issue with difficulties providing vaccine for the largest vaccination campaign in the nation’s history covering hundreds of millions of adults.
Recently the Arkansas Department of Health reported that Carroll County was one of 11 counties with the lowest vaccination rates in the state and would be eligible for additional vaccines. But local pharmacies providing shots haven’t received word of when they might receive more.
Bell said the waiting list at Smith Drugs includes people who aren’t currently eligible such as between 65-69 and essential workers. Those categories include a large number of people. Bell said the sooner you get on the list, the sooner you will be able to get a shot. To get a reservation, call (479) 253-6000.
Bell urges people to go by the state guidelines in order to be fair. While federal guidelines recommend states open the vaccinations to people aged 65 and older, each state is free to adopt its own guidelines. Currently in Arkansas, vaccines are only available to people over 70, school employees and healthcare workers.
Oklahoma is giving shots to people over 65 and some people from Arkansas were going there to get vaccinated.
“Then Oklahoma tightened the rules said no one from Arkansas could come over to get vaccinated,” Bell said. “Some people who live in Arkansas got their first shot in Oklahoma but can’t get the second because they are no longer eligible. They may have to wait a little to get the second. They should be okay. Injections can be spread out at least six weeks between the shots.”
Bell said there should have been one federal standard that applied to all the states. He doesn’t see much difference in Covid susceptibility between the ages of 65 to 69 and those who are 70 and older. However, he said when Arkansas looked at the numbers, the state realized it didn’t have enough vaccine to meet the demand if it included people over 65.
“It looks like they were correct,” Bell said. “The supply is tight. The good news is that the number of new cases, active cases and hospitalizations is down in Arkansas. It looks like we are receding a little bit.”
Pharmacist Spencer Mabry, co-owner of Economy Drugs in Berryville, said they are only getting 100 doses of vaccine per week, and the same thing is true of Poynor Drug in Berryville.
“The pharmacists are working hard and giving out all the doses we are getting,” Mabry said. “If Carroll County has low vaccination rates, it is only because we are not getting enough doses. We keep giving all we get. But when you are only getting enough vaccine for a half of one percent of the population every week, it is hard to do any better.”
Economy Drug urges people not to call to schedule shots as their clerks are already overwhelmed. Appointments are currently scheduled out through March. You must go online to www.economydrug.net and look for the Covid tab to make an appointment.
Mabry said Arkansas pharmacies are not allowed to vaccinate Missouri residents, which is a mandate from the state.
Holiday Island Pharmacy also received 100 doses of Moderna the week of Jan. 18 and was expecting another shipment Jan. 25, Pharmacist Amy Johnson said. She said the vaccinations the week of Jan. 18 went well and all doses were administered that were received. People can call (479) 239-2099 to get on a waiting list for the shots.
“We asked for more than 100 shots this week, but there is a limited supply,” Johnson said.
Even after people receive the second shot, it may take two or three weeks to get a robust response, and even after someone receives both shots, it is possible to carry the virus in the nasal passages and pass it to someone.
“You need to wear a mask if you are around people who are not vaccinated and could be carrying the virus or people who are susceptible to the virus,” Bell said. “You can pick it up from someone else and transport. it. The same guidelines need to continue. The vaccine protects you from getting sick, but you can still carry it to others.”
There is concern about more contagious variants of Covid-19 that have been linked to higher cases and deaths in the UK and South Africa. It hasn’t been found in Arkansas as of Jan. 25, but health officials are concerned the variants could be dominant in this country by March.
Bell said while the new variants may not only be easier to catch, but more deadly, there is hope that the vaccines currently being used will still be protective. Manufacturers of the Moderna vaccine recently announced that it is effective against variants found in the United Kingdom and South Africa.