Pharmacy owner says COVID-19 shots going quick, but more doses expected to arrive soon

One of two Sault Ste. Marie pharmacies distributing the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine says it has received 1,500 requests for appointments since the system launched on April 3.

Jordan Jack, owner of West End Pharmasave, told SooToday that his pharmacy, one of 380 added in the provincial government's second round of pharmacy selection for vaccine distribution on April 1, was first given 300 shots. 

"We've given out 240 shots, and 105 of those were yesterday alone," Jack said.

The store owner said he is expecting the arrival of another 300 doses this week.

He says the phone has been ringing off the hook with COVID-19 vaccine-related inquiries.

The demand for vaccines is high, but the supply has been low, both for private pharmacies offering the vaccine and for Algoma Public Health's mass immunization clinics. The health unit posted on Facebook this afternoon that "Demand for the vaccine continues to exceed the supply we have been allocated for the Algoma region. As more vaccines continue to arrive, more clinics will be made available for booking in the near future."

Jack said it would be a quicker process to get everyone a vaccine who wants one if more pharmacies had the vaccine, but there simply aren't enough vaccines to make that happen at this point. In terms of capacity, he said 300 a week is enough to keep his staff busy.

He explained how the process of distributing vaccines has worked so far at his pharmacy.

From the booking page, eligible residents can submit their information. When the pharmacy receives it, Jack said he is filtering out requests based on age, first contacting those in the 70+ age group to book their vaccine shots.

He said the goal is to vaccinate all requesting seniors in the 70+ category before moving down the list to the 55+ group, which is the lowest age bracket permitted by the province for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

"We're down to about 150 over-70s left, and we're hoping to do 65+ next," Jack said.

The reason for filtering by age? Jack said the idea is to make sure the most vulnerable are vaccinated first, particularly those who may have technical difficulties booking spots quickly through public health when its clinics become available online.

The store owner said in cases where people are having major technical difficulties, staff can help them book a vaccine or submit their request on-site. But he doesn't recommend anyone showing up to the pharmacy unless necessary in order to reduce crowding, lines, and to ensure social distancing during the distribution process.

When asked about reluctance toward the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine due to blood clot concerns, Jack said there has been occasional hesitancy among residents Pharmsave has seen. But he assures the community that the vaccine is safe.

In fact, he distributed it to both his parents.

He predicts that, so long as vaccine supply keeps up, between Algoma Public Health's vaccination clinics at the GFL Memorial Gardens, Pharmasave, and Rome's pharmacy,  everyone who wants their first shot should have it by the end of May.

Appointment bookings are welcome for all eligible residents (55+), not just clients of the pharmacy, Jack said.

The two local pharmacies offering the vaccine are Loblaw Pharmacy at 44-50 Great Northern Rd. and the West End Pharmasave at 658 Second Line W.

The other Algoma-region pharmacy is in Elliot Lake, at Shoppers Drug Mart at 220 Ontario Ave.