Tonawanda, N.Y. (WBEN) - The numbers are a little low nationwide for Americans getting their annual flu shot and new COVID-19 vaccine this year.
According to CDC Director Mandy Cohen, as of Monday, at least 12 million people, or about 3.6 percent of the population, have gotten the new COVID shot nearly six weeks since it hit pharmacy shelves and 16 million have got their annual flu shot.
Pharmacist and owner of Brighton Eggert Pharmacy Don Arthur tells WBEN that there has been one obstacle that hindered our community members from getting the annual COVID shot the first couple week: availability.
"We didn't see COVID vaccines until recently. We started a waitlist because we do quite a bit of vaccines at my Brighton Eggert Pharmacy, and that list had gotten up to 1000 names before we received our first vaccines," Arthur said.
"Some vaccines had reached the chain pharmacies, Walgreens, Rite Aid CVS, but if you've been following in the media, those pharmacists have been overwhelmed. The workload of filling prescriptions in a busy chain pharmacy is difficult. The staffing levels are difficult. Chain pharmacists are exceptional pharmacists, but they just don't have the ability to keep up with their daily workload, and on top of that, do vaccinations. So our patients in the Western New York community really didn't have too many options, but now we're getting them and we've done about 500 COVID vaccines over the last week and a half, and we are fully stocked with Pfizer vaccines and Moderna."
But what about the low numbers in those getting the flu shots? Arthur would agree that this could possibly be attributed to a group of people's mistrust in the COVID vaccine.
"I think definitely, there's been some what I'll call political spillover. It's frustrating to me, you know, as a healthcare provider, that this has happened. I don't have current statistics, but I think annually, 40% of Americans feel the need to receive a flu shot annually. I've been consistent in my message when I visited with WBEN and I talked to my patients that, you know, I'm 63. If a vaccine is available, and I'm eligible, I'm receiving that vaccine. It's not just for my own personal health, I feel that vaccinating for flu, for RSV, for COVID is a benefit to the community."
Arthur, like the CDC Director, believe more people will get their flu and COVID shot eventually as they have only been out for about six weeks.
"I, unfortunately, would agree that some of the negative attitudes in the community have possibly had a negative effect on people's willingness to receive other vaccines, not just COVID vaccines but flu vaccine, but we'll see. You know, at the end of the season, we'll see when the final numbers come in. I feel confident that we'll be consistent with what we've seen in the past in terms of the overall population receiving the flu vaccine."