On Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott announced that he and Health Commissioner Mark Levine had just gotten their flu shots — and encouraged all Vermonters to do the same.
But many residents are reporting that getting vaccinated is easier said than done. Across the state, drugstores are running out of flu shots, meaning only people who meet certain criteria (such as being over age 65), or who are already on a waitlist, are able to get the drug.
“It’s not a shortage or anything,” said Health Department spokesman Ben Truman.”Actually, we see this a lot.”
Truman said at the beginning of the flu season — even in a non-pandemic year — it is quite common that drugstores and other flu shot providers will run out of their first batches of the drug quickly, and waitlists will build up until the next shipment of shots comes in.
“Nationally and locally, demand for flu shots definitely has been higher than usual and earlier in the season,” said Judy Repass Cowden, a spokesperson for Kinney Drugs. “However, shipments of vaccine continue to arrive on schedule from our various pharmaceutical partners. As soon as we receive vaccine, our pharmacies are able to administer it.”
Truman said this year, the initial high demand is likely especially high because of people’s eagerness to get the flu vaccine to avoid a “twindemic” of both Covid-19 and the regular flu season.
So far this year, the Health Department has reported that flu vaccination rates are 9.6% higher than last year. Both children, and adults in their 60s and 70s are getting vaccinated at higher rates, while people in their 20s and early 30s are behind previous years.
“It’s a supply-line thing. It’s a big bubble at first, but then becomes a steady supply to meet the demand as it comes in,” Truman said.
Truman said oftentimes, though, pharmacies don’t know the exact date or quantity of the vaccine that they’ll receive next, so it might be difficult for them to schedule appointments into the future. Instead, he said, they’re probably just asking customers to come back later in the month and see if the flu vaccine is back in stock.
The health department has been hearing regularly about difficulties with getting the vaccine, Truman said, but they’re not pinpointed to certain pharmacies or areas of the state. Often, by the time a complaint comes in, the pharmacy in question has already received a restock, and is no longer running low on the flu vaccine.
However, he said prioritizing higher-risk Vermonters — like those over 65 — is probably a good way to deal with the shortage.
“We’re definitely supporting making sure that people who have higher risk of potential serious illness from the flu make sure to get it,” he said. “If places are prioritizing that, that’s a good idea.”
But Truman said what’s important to remember is that, even if you can’t get an appointment to be vaccinated this week, you shouldn’t give up on getting a flu shot for the season.
“We know from the pandemic what happens where there is a highly infectious disease that has no vaccine,” he said. “We’ve got a vaccine for flu, so we want people to get their flu shot.”
He said the flu compromises people’s health, which makes them more susceptible to Covid-19 effects. Flu shots also ease some of the strain on hospitals, which have only “so much capacity”; it would be tough to handle a heavy flu season and pandemic hospitalizations at the same time.
Luckily, he said, the Covid precautions Vermonters are taking are also “exactly what they need to be doing” to avoid spreading the flu.
“Flu season is just getting started. People shouldn’t be like ‘Oh my god, I can’t get a flu vaccine.’” Truman said. “Don’t worry; everyone will be able to get the vaccine.”
