Nationwide pharmacy vaccination program has begun

Nationwide pharmacy vaccination program has begun   A few weeks ago, the Biden administration announced the federal government would begin direct shipments of vaccines to retail pharmacies, with a total of 1 million doses going to about 6,500 stores, before eventually expanding. The coordinated effort is expected to help expand vaccine uptake. The program last week was met with fanfare, a few technical glitches and plenty of sore arms.   Twenty-one pharmacy chains are included in this ambitious first-time rollout, including CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Walmart.   Many experts say turning to retail pharmacies to increase vaccine uptake makes sense as a way to minimize the logistical challenges in state and local health departments. And with clinics and hospitals struggling to provide care for patients sick with Covid-19 -- especially in small rural communities -- taking vaccines elsewhere makes sense.   Steven Anderson, president and CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, says he's confident the 1-million goal can be met, as long as enough vaccine ends up in pharmacies.   "Ultimately NACDS member pharmacies can meet and exceed the 100 million vaccinations in a month threshold, yet it's important to understand that the supply of vaccines remains the rate-limiting factor in the vaccination effort," he said.   About two months have passed since the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines were authorized for emergency use in the United States and states began to administer doses, vaccinating health care workers and long-term care facility residents first.   Since then, many states have moved on to vaccinate the next prioritized groups, such as other essential workers, older adults and -- most recently -- people with comorbidities or underlying medical conditions that put them at an increased risk, such as diabetes.   But access to the vaccine for people with these underlying conditions will vary from state to state.