DECATUR, Ala. — There are two types of distribution, but only one vaccine eligibility plan, when it comes to COVID vaccine rollouts.
Alabama vaccine eligibility is still limited, but the state now has access to three vaccines: the Moderna vaccine, the Pfizer vaccine, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
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"One of them is the federal distribution [to pharmacies], and the good news about that is, they coordinate with folks and they don't take the allotment out of what the state is, per se going to get," said Judy Smith, area administrator for the Alabama Department of Public Health.
There is also state distribution, that is sent to places like health departments and hospitals.
"But the federal allotment has gone to CVS, to Walgreens, now to Walmart," said Smith.
Smith says, to her understanding, that Walmarts in both Decatur and Hartselle either have the vaccine or have it coming. But which vaccine is where?
"More folks are getting Moderna vaccine, as a matter of fact, there are some 700 places in the state that now have the Moderna vaccine and then now we've got the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, the state was to get over 40,000 doses and that was to be distributed to various places across the state," said Smith.
When it comes to who gets which vaccine, a lot of things will stay the same but the introduction of the J&J vaccine adds more to the supply.
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"Those that have Moderna will continue to have Moderna, those that have Pfizer will continue to have Pfizer. I do know that there is some discussion with CVS about getting the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, but I think those distributions are being determined right now," said Smith.
There is concern when it comes to the efficacy of the J&J vaccine, but Smith has a theory about that.
"The biggest problem with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is that it was the third horse out of the barn, and that is the only problem with it. It's still extremely valuable, it's still a winner, it's still gonna do what we need it to do, it's just that it was the third horse out of the barn," said Smith.