The H1N1 Vaccine: Coming to a Drugstore Near You

Drugstore operator CVS appears to be playing catch up with archrival Walgreen in the race to vaccinate Americans against the H1N1 flu virus. Yesterday, the Rhode Island-based chain announced that the vaccine is available in select in-store MinuteClinic locations in 20 states (listed here) and Washington, D.C. Walgreen says that currently it’s offering swine flu vaccinations in 27 states (list) and the District of Columbia, and plans to have the vaccine available in all 50 states by the end of the month.

Already, Walgreen and its Take Care clinics have administered more than 200,000 flu shots, says the company. Those doses were restricted to members of the CDC-designated priority group, which includes pregnant women, health care workers, and individuals between the ages of six months and 24 years old. But with many states lifting the priority group restrictions, Walgreen, CVS, local health departments, and other immunizers are offering the vaccine to anyone who wants it and meets state age requirements.

A quick check of availability in my local market (Austin, Texas) found that while my nearest Walgreen store has the vaccine in stock, most CVS locations in the area do not (even though Texas appears on the CVS list).

Whether people will flock to their local pharmacy to be immunized remains to be seen. In Central Texas swine flu arrived early: shortly after school began in August. At the time, demand for the vaccine was high but the supply was not. Now that the number of H1N1 cases in the area has apparently peaked, there’s plenty of vaccine to go around. However, there isn’t much of a sense of urgency to get vaccinated. Indeed, while CDC data shows the incidence of H1N1 has waned in recent weeks, flu levels remain higher than in 2008. (The CDC reports that swine flu has infected one in six people in the US since April and has killed nearly 10,000. In a typical year, the seasonal flu kills some 36,000 Americans.) So the prudent thing to do to protect yourself is to get vaccinated. At the cost of $18 per shot, which may be covered by some insurance plans, the price seems within the reach of most people.

Indeed, both CVS and Walgreen have done brisk business administering seasonal flu shots this year and are anticipating a significant boost in sales as a result of H1N1 vaccine availability. So the next time you visit the local branch of one of these two national mega chains to pick up some tape, batteries, or a Snuggie, why not get immunized against the swine flu? No appointments necessary.

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Photo by KOMUnews, used under a Creative Commons license.