Breaking down COVID vaccine changes at major pharmacies
YOUR GOODS ARE COMING FROM BEFORE YOU BUY THEM. CARTER EVANS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UPHEAVAL AT THE CDC IS NOW RIPPLING INTO COMMUNITIES. CVS AND WALGREENS, THE NATION’S TWO LARGEST PHARMACIES, SAY THEY ARE LIMITING ACCESS TO COVID VACCINES IN MULTIPLE STATES. CVS BLAMES A DELAY IN THE LATEST RECOMMENDATION FROM THE AGENCY’S VACCINE PANEL. REBECCA ADAMS, AN EDITOR WITH THE KFF HEALTH NEWS, IS HERE TO EXPLAIN. REBECCA, START ME OFF WITH WHAT’S CHANGING AT THE FDA AND CVS. >> YES. SO THIS WEEK, THE FDA AUTHORIZED UPDATED COVID VACCINES, BUT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF HHS SECRETARY ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.. THERE ARE NEW RESTRICTIONS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT. THE VACCINES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE 65 AND OLDER, OR HAVE AT LEAST ONE MEDICAL CONDITION, AND HEALTHY PEOPLE COULD STILL POTENTIALLY GET THE SHOTS. IF A DOCTOR PRESCRIBES IT OFF LABEL. SO THAT’S A BIG CHANGE FROM THE PAST. IN SEVERAL MEDICAL GROUPS. OPPOSE THESE LIMITS. AND SO WHY IS CVS CHANGING ITS GUIDANCE? BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE RULES. AND THERE’S ANOTHER IMPORTANT STEP THAT HASN’T HAPPENED YET. WE’RE VERY FORTUNATE IN THIS COUNTRY THAT BEFORE A VACCINE CAN GO ON THE MARKET, IT GOES THROUGH A LOT OF VETTING. THE NORMAL PROCESS IS THAT A PANEL OF OUTSIDE SCIENTIFIC ADVISERS TO THE FDA REVIEW A VACCINE. THEN THE FDA SIGNS OFF. AND THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK. THEN USUALLY A CDC ADVISORY COMMITTEE REVIEWS THE DATA. AND THEN FINALLY, THE FOURTH STEP IS THAT THE CDC WOULD SIGN OFF. SO THE CDC COMMITTEE WAS SCHEDULED TO MEET IN SEPTEMBER, AND A CVS OFFICIAL TOLD ME THAT IN THREE STATES MASSACHUSETTS, NEVADA AND NEW MEXICO, YOU NEED THE COMMITTEE’S APPROVAL BEFORE ANYBODY CAN GET A SHOT. FOR THE OTHER 13 OTHER STATES AND D.C., WHERE THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS, YOU NEED THE COMMITTEE APPROVAL. UNLESS YOU HAVE A PRESCRIPTION. >> REBECCA, IF I WANT TO GET A COVID 19 VACCINE, WHERE CAN I GET IT? CAN I STILL GET IT? >> YOU CAN IF YOU GET THAT DOCTOR TO SIGN OFF. OR IF YOU’RE IN THOSE 13 STATES THAT ALLOW IT. BUT I WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT THE BACKDROP OF ALL THIS IS THAT HIGHLY UNUSUAL THINGS ARE HAPPENING UNDER THE DIRECTION OF HHS SECRETARY KENNEDY. IN JUNE, HE KICKED ALL OF THE SCIENTISTS THAT WERE ON THE CDC COMMITTEE OFF AND REPLACED THEM WITH PEOPLE THAT HE HAND-PICKED. AND IN CONGRESS, REPUBLICAN SENATOR BILL CASSIDY, WHO’S A DOCTOR, SAID THAT ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE MADE, IF THIS COMMITTEE IN SEPTEMBER SHOULD BE REJECTED. >> WELL, THAT IS IMPORTANT CONTEXT. REBECCA ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE C
Upheaval at the CDC is now rippling into communities. CVS and Walgreens, the nation’s two largest pharmacies, say they are limiting access to COVID vaccines in multiple states. Rebecca Adams, an editor with KFF Health News, joins to discuss.
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