Emily Hays Photos
Wilfred and Christine Rodie at CVS: One down, one to go.
Christine Rodie is a month shy of qualifying for the Covid-19 vaccine. She had a brief hope that she could take a no-show’s dose at the Whalley Avenue CVS — only to learn that there were four pages of names ahead of hers on the waitlist.
The upshot is that the Whalley Avenue CVS hasn’t wasted any extra doses since the pharmacy started offering the Covid-19 vaccine in February.
“I guess my gamble didn’t work,” Rodie said Wednesday evening after her visit to the pharmacy.
Rodie had heard about pharmacies giving away shots at the end of the day and decided to accompany her husband, Wilfred, to an appointment he had. The recent expansion of vaccine eligibility to those 55 and older covers Wilfred. He scheduled his appointment on Monday and found an opening on Wednesday at the CVS at 215 Whalley Ave.
The process for getting the vaccine starts near the automatic doors. A sign points those wanting to get the vaccine down one of the makeup aisles, where a staff member waits at a table. The staff member directs those with appointments to the pharmacy and informs those without appointments of the waitlist option.
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines only survive a certain amount of time at room temperature or once the multi-dose vial has been puncture. Doses that have passed these time frames have to be thrown out.
The CVS at Whalley and Orchard responded to this problem by starting a waiting list as soon as the pharmacy started administering vaccines. Those on the waitlist get a call and have to arrive at CVS within half an hour.
By the time Christine Rodie added her name to the waitlist, it was four pages long.
Christine Rodie turns 55 on April 12. The first day she can get a shot under the age categories is March 22. She has been working in-person for the laundry detergent manufacturer Henkel and for a catering company Small Kitchen Big Taste. While her daughter has some vaccine hesitancy, Rodie has always planned to get the vaccine as soon as possible, in the hopes of traveling and doing the things she loves again.
After the Rodies had waited long enough to know Wilfred didn’t have side effects, they gave up on the waiting list and both left the pharmacy.
Statewide, 19 CVS stores are participating in administering vaccines, according to company spokesperson Tara Burke. Walgreens outlets are, too. A check of five of those local outlets by Independent reporters late Wednesday afternoon and early evening found no extra unused doses available to walk-ins.
“Walk-in vaccinations without an appointment will not be provided,” Burke told the Independent. “Appointments were filled quickly due to the limited supply of vaccine we received from the federal government. Every vaccine dose we’ve been given is being used to vaccinate people who booked appointments.”
She urged people to visit the CVS website here to schedule an appointment.
Walgreens is receiving 9,080 doses a week to administer at 79 of its pharmacies in the state, according to spokesperson Campbell O’Connor. There, too, staff is not giving shots to walk-ins. “In the event there are remaining doses at the end of the day that are due to expire, those doses may be used to vaccinate Walgreens team members who are eligible to receive vaccines as part of the phased plans outlined by the CDC and states. If there are excess doses beyond that, Walgreens communicates regularly with the state and local jurisdictions to determine next steps for reallocation,” O’Connor stated.
Gubernatorial spokesperson Max Reiss said the state is aware of few if any wasted doses at pharmacies participating in the program. He urged people to schedule appointments for vaccinations.
“Every vaccinator must have a wastage plan to account for the unforeseen like people cancelling at the last minute. Most vaccinators have standby lists of people who may have asked to be considered for additional doses and we also know that in some cases there have been people waiting around for any extra. That plan can also include examples like individuals who may be in the store at a time of a cancellation who can then receive the dose in order to avoid it being wasted,” but he wasn’t aware of many such cases, Reiss said.
Maryssa Tedder (left) learned about the CVS waiting list when she accompanied her mother, Mary Ellen Bostic, to her appointment.
Bostic qualifies for the vaccine as part of the 55 and older category. When she tried scheduling her vaccine through the federal Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS), Bostic saw that her first available appointment was April 17. So she tried scheduling with her CVS app and found a slot on Wednesday.
Bostic was waiting with a handful of others in folding chairs between the child-size dolls and packs of gum. All were waiting to make sure they didn’t feel dizzy before going home. None were from New Haven. Bostic lives in Seymour and Tedder lives about 10 minutes outside of the Elm City.
Far too young to get the vaccine anytime soon, Tedder was interested in the waitlist but decided not to sign up for a list she heard was 100 names long. Instead, she plans to call a pharmacy closer to where she lives.
Staff members at CVS said that they have yet to throw away any doses, thanks to the waitlist system.
Staff members told a similar story at the Walgreens at 1191 Dixwell Ave. There was a waitlist, but they did not offer to add more names.
Glad to know that being white and UMC w a big crib in Fairfield Co doesn't push you to the front of the line in New Haven before you ought to qualify. We have plenty of at-risk people here who already qualify and need those vaccines much more.