The Biden administration begins shipping COVID-19 vaccines to pharmacies nationwide this week, with Arizona outlets expecting 20,000 doses.
Will Humble of the Arizona Public Health Association is hopeful that the state will make the switch to pharmacies as the primary distributors of the vaccine by March.
“Hopefully, in a month from now, where the dominant place for vaccines to be received would be in doctor’s offices and pharmacies, and community health centers, rather than these big giant roll-up, mass vaccination clinics,” Humble said.
Humble believes that pharmacies are the first stop to bring vaccines to people, rather than making people go to the vaccine.
He says the sooner that companies make more shots and the quicker Johnson & Johnson’s upcoming shot is approved by the FDA, the faster the state can move away from large vaccination sites.