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Importance of Pharmacy Partnerships in Effective COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2021

Rajkumar S. Pammal Open the ORCID record for Rajkumar S. Pammal [Opens in a new window] ,
Jason B. Kreinces  and
Kevin L. Pohlman
Rajkumar S. Pammal*
Affiliation:
New York Medical College School of Medicine, Valhalla, New York, USA
Jason B. Kreinces
Affiliation:
New York Medical College School of Medicine, Valhalla, New York, USA
Kevin L. Pohlman
Affiliation:
New York Medical College School of Health Sciences and Practice, Center for Disaster Medicine, Valhalla, New York, USA
*
Corresponding author: Rajkumar S. Pammal, Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

The goal of vaccinating the majority of Americans against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a timely manner requires a robust federal vaccine distribution plan involving pharmacy partnerships. Previously, the 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) H1N1 Vaccine Pharmacy Initiative resulted in approximately 10% of adults who received a vaccine during the 2009 pandemic reporting they were vaccinated at a pharmacy. This proportion has already largely increased for COVID-19 vaccinations, with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) using similar channels for vaccination as existing partnerships with national pharmacy and grocery retail chains for the COVID-19 Community-Based Testing Program. It continues to prove crucial that the Biden administration’s national COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan, including the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, focus on ensuring equitable vaccine distribution and access in medically underserved areas and to vulnerable populations, enabling maximum uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.

Keywords

COVID-19vaccinationpharmacy partnershipshealth equity
Type
Policy Analysis
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 6 , December 2022 , pp. 2293 - 2295
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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