The call came over the grocery store’s PA system around 7:50 p.m. on Sun. Feb. 7. “Anyone interested in the COVID-19 vaccine, come to the pharmacy.” One shopper on his way out froze in place, swiveled on his heels and ran. He sprinted down aisle 11, past the Glad paper plates, by the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies and to the pharmacy counter. He breathlessly said the word “vaccine” before the pharmacist handed him a double-sided form to fill out and then escorted him into a windowless back room. There, the pharmacist filled up a syringe with Moderna’s new vaccine and injected the much-coveted liquid into the healthy 27-year-old’s arm.
While this individual would normally not have qualified to receive the vaccine for many months, the pharmacist explained that a few missed appointments that day had left them with extra doses they were loath to waste. But serendipity makes for a poor vaccine distribution plan. Over a month into vaccination efforts, even those who qualify for the vaccine have had trouble getting one as Los Angeles County reports shortages in vaccine supply. In Beverly Hills, pharmacies that have signed up to distribute the vaccine say they continue to wait for shipments without a clear idea of when they might arrive.
