Local pharmacies dealing with challenges of providing COVID-19 vaccination

PITTSBURGH — Phones are ringing off the hook at pharmacies which are receiving and administering doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Callers want to know when they can roll up their sleeves and get the vaccine.

Jeff Wilson, the owner of Wilson’s Pharmacy in Bloomfield, says they started receiving doses at the start of January.

“We got 100 the first time, 300 the second time and the third time we got 500,” said Wilson.

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For now, the demand for vaccine across the U.S. outpaces the availability.

Wilson is building a private vaccination booth at his pharmacy to better handle the demand.

“All of the sudden it got hard to get so we waited a week and a half to get our next batch, which we went through over the weekend,” he said.

Wilson said people came from as far as Philadelphia and braved cold temperatures to stand in long lines outside his 81-year old business until they ran out of vaccine.

“We’re hoping to get it later this week but we are just hoping to do it by appointments because we go through it too fast if we just do a line,” said Wilson.

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