LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – The initial distribution plan for the COVID-19 vaccine included those at risk, health care workers, first aid and long-term care facilities. But doses were given to the public at a Lexington Walgreens over the Christmas holidays.
On Monday afternoon, we learned from Walgreens about its distribution plans for the COVID-19 vaccine. They said the general public was not fit to receive these doses, but it seems so.
Over the weekend we reported that doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were available to the general public at Lane Allen’s Walgreens. A Walgreens spokesman said they continue to work with long-term care centers to meet their vaccination needs as part of the CDC pharmaceutical association.
They also said that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can be refrigerated for only five days and they don’t want the doses to be wasted.
They said the remaining doses from Kentucky’s scheduled clinics were reassigned and used in facilities with clinics on Christmas Eve that were initially to be scheduled at a later date.
Additional overdoses were then offered to local first aiders, Walgreens Pharmacy and store team members and community residents. This would explain how people were able to get the COVID vaccine at this pharmacy over the weekend.
“In the future, if they can’t be delivered to a long-term care center, if that happens again, we’ll provide some additional guidance for those most at risk, so the pharmacy can provide them to. But , again, under all current policies, this shouldn’t have happened, I don’t think it was intentional, but it should have been done differently, ”Governor Andy Beshear said.
Today, Mayor Linda Gorton and Health Commissioner Dra. Kraig Humbaugh, they planned to get the COVID-19 vaccine at the Fayette County Health Department. About an hour before this happened, they canceled the event, telling us they wanted to wait until it was more available so that these doses could go to those who really needed it.
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