FORT SMITH, Ark. — The message regarding Covid-19 vaccinations in Arkansas remains the same, the demand for the shots is much greater than the supply given to the state and passed down to each county.
River Valley leaders held a virtual town hall meeting Thursday (Jan. 28) to share information and prepare for the future and when vaccine doses become available.
The focus of the meeting was to educate the public about the vaccine, when more will be available and how to get it.
They also discussed how to get the vaccine to areas of the community that might not have easy access to it right now.
As the vaccine supply remains low statewide, pharmacists stress that they are giving what they do have as quickly as they can.
“I know people are frustrated but it is just going to take time to get everybody vaccinated. We get our vaccine doses on Wednesday and they will be in everybody’s arm by tomorrow night,” said Joe Korkames, Pharmacist/Owner of Laws Drug Store.
Some panel members stressed the importance of establishing ways to get the vaccine to areas of the community and to people who do not have access to transportation, the internet or computers.
“We need to be able to go to these neighborhoods and host clinics and find out ways to stay socially distant but get this job done,” said Jeff Fenwick, Pharmacist at National Family Pharmacy.
Area pharmacists like Fenwick plan to coordinate vaccination clinics in under-served areas.
For now, as the availability are few and far between, pharmacists also ask for patience from the community eager to receive their doses.
“If you get the chance to explain to someone or help someone understand in your church group or where ever please help educate them that we are doing everything we can to get the vaccine out there as quickly as possible you know if we had more we could give more,” said John Hall, Pharmacist at Health Depot Pharmacies
Dr. Jennifer Dillaha with the Department of Health says the state received 6,000 more doses of the vaccine this week than previous weeks, which could be a sign production is ramping up and more doses could be on the way.