By Blake Haas
BLOOMINGTON – As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues worldwide, Pharmacies stand at the ready to vaccinate 100 million Americans in 30-day’s barring supplies.
To help make that goal possible, Kathleen Jager, Senior Vice President of Pharmacy Care at the National Association of Chain Drug stores, says the association has activated the Federal Pharmacy Program.
“Across the country, we have over 40,000 Pharmacies that are actually apart of the Federal Pharmacy partnership program. And if we had, we have one vaccinator, just one vaccinator, in every store and most times we have two and three. But, if we had just one vaccinator in every store, we’re talking about 100 million doses actually being administered to Americans in less than 30-days.”
In his first days of office, President Joe Biden announced a goal of administering 100 million doses of the COVID-19 in 100 days.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Biden, said the new administration’s goal is “going to be a challenge.”
Jager says pharmacies are waiting for vaccine manufactures to produce and distribute the vaccine.
“We stand ready as that supply comes through, and as the manufactures are working around the clock to provide us with that supply, pharmacies stand ready to deliver those vaccines.”
As of Thursday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reports the state is averaging around 46,000 shots per day.
Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].
