LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – The initial distribution plan for the COVID-19 vaccine included those most at risk, health workers, first responders and those in long-term care units. But the doses were given to the public at Lexington Walgreens over the Christmas holidays.
Late Monday afternoon, I learned from Walgreens about their distribution plans for the COVID-19 vaccine. They said the general public was not eligible to receive these doses, but it seems to have happened.
This weekend we reported that doses of COVID-19 vaccine are available to the general public at Walgreens on Allen Lane. A Walgreens spokesman said they continue to work with long-term care facilities to meet their vaccination needs as part of the CDC Pharmacy partnership.
They also said that the COfID-19 Pfizer vaccine can be kept in refrigerated temperatures for only five days and they do not want the doses to be lost.
They said the remaining doses from scheduled clinics in Kentucky were reallocated and used in facilities with clinics on Christmas Eve, which were originally scheduled to appear at a later date.
Additional overdoses were then provided to local first responders, Walgreens Pharmacy, and store team members and community residents. That would explain how people managed to get the COVID vaccine at that pharmacy over the weekend.
“In the future, if they cannot be provided to a long-term care institution, if it happens again, we will provide some additional guidance to those most at risk so that the pharmacy can provide them. But again, under all the policies in place, this should not have happened, I don’t think this was intentional, but it should have been done differently, “said Governor Andy Beshear.
Earlier today, Mayor Linda Gorton and Health Commissioner Dr. Kraig Humbaugh were to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the Fayette County Health Department. About an hour before this happened, they canceled the event, telling us that they want to wait until it is more widely available so that these doses can go to those who really need it.
Copyright 2020 WKYT. All rights reserved.