PHARMACY BRIDGE STILL BEING BUILT — People without Health insurance will likely go weeks after updated Covid-19 vaccines hit the market this fall until they can get a free shot at retail pharmacies. The delay adds a layer of complexity for the uninsured that public health experts worry could discourage people from getting the shot. The Biden administration is still finalizing contracts with companies, including CVS and Walgreens, to distribute free vaccines to the uninsured, according to CDC spokesperson Kathleen Conley. The CDC expects the updated vaccine rollout to begin the third or fourth week of September, she said. But the contracts with pharmacies will likely not be finished until mid-October, a timeline the agency maintains was always the plan, as questions swirl about what’s behind the delay. “I think it’s going to be challenging,†said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, which helps coordinate immunization programs nationwide. “We’re not expecting high demand; I think we’re really going to have to work to make sure that providers are recommending the vaccine, that the public knows where to get it." The uninsured will need to go to federal health centers or individual providers for free vaccines during the first stage of the fall vaccination campaign while the administration’s $1.1 billion “bridge†program is stood up in pharmacies. However, many federally qualified health centers operate as clinical facilities, meaning patients may need to schedule an appointment to get an updated shot, according to Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “You’re going to have people showing up at the pharmacy looking to get vaccinated ... and being told we’re not yet prepared to give it to you,†said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “Some of those people will come back and get vaccinated, and some of those people will just get frustrated and not show up again.†IT'S FRIDAY. WELCOME TO PRESCRIPTION PULSE. We didn’t appreciate the POLITICO dig in Red, White and Royal Blue, but we’ll still watch it again. Send news and tips to Lauren Gardner ([email protected] or @Gardner_LM), David Lim ([email protected] or @davidalim) and Katherine Ellen Foley ([email protected] or @katherineefoley). TODAY ON OUR PULSE CHECK PODCAST, host Megan Messerly talks with POLITICO global health reporter Carmen Paun about her Q&A with John Bell, the former U.K. testing czar, who says that governments should increase disease surveillance, develop routine adult vaccination programs and build clinical trial networks in Africa to better prepare for the next pandemic.
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