Looking for a Covid vaccine? Here$$s why that$$s not so easy in CT right now

National complications with the COVID$-19$ vaccine rollout have hit Connecticut, stalling immunizations at mom$-$and$-$pop drug stores, large

chain pharmacies and hospitals across the state.Supply chain disruptions, insurance issues and workforce woes have riddled the road to

immunisation, resulting in cancelled appointments and localised shortages of the updated COVID$-19$ vaccine that was approved by

federal regulators last month. Vice President of Pharmacy Services at Hartford HealthCare Eric Arlia said the health care network has yet

to receive a vaccine order submitted nearly two weeks ago.$$We placed our original order for the new vaccine on $9/21,$ but we have not

received it yet,$$ Arlia said. $$We do encourage people to get vaccinated as soon as it$$s available. We don$$t anticipate a long$-$term shortage and soon it should be readily available. We believe it$$s still the best tool in the ongoing fight against illness.$$ A Yale New Haven Health

spokesperson said the network has been in regular communication with its wholesale supplier but that $$No firm delivery dates from the

supplier have been established yet.$$Pfizer has substantial supply of its $2023-2024$ COVID$-19$ vaccine and does not have any

shortages,$$ Pfizer said in a statement to the Courant.

$$Following the FDA approval and CDC recommendation last month, Pfizer has shipped and delivered more than $10$ million doses of its

$2023-2024$ COVID$-19$ vaccine. We$$re continuing to meet demand from wholesalers and customers and anticipate delivering millions of

additional doses each week.$$ Hartford HealthCare and Yale New Haven Health did not offer the names of their wholesale suppliers, with

Yale citing security concerns. Matt Blanchette, senior manager of retail communications for CVS Pharmacy, said the chain continues to

receive COVID$-19$ vaccines on a rolling basis. $$Due to delivery delays from our wholesalers, some appointments may be rescheduled,$$

Blanchette said. $$We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and will continue to offer additional appointments at those locations

as supply is received.$$The availability of the COVID$-19$ vaccine is expected to improve over the coming weeks,$$ Boyle said. $$Vaccine

manufacturers have informed DPH that this is not a vaccine supply issue but rather shipping and delivery logistics that are responsible for

this delay. This is a nationwide issue for all those looking to receive the updated COVID$-19$ vaccine.$$ When the COVID$-19$ Public Health

Emergency ended last May, the distribution for COVID$-19$ vaccines shifted from federal agencies to the commercial market. Insurance

companies and consumers must now cover vaccine costs where the government previously picked up the tab. According to Boyle, more

than $46,000$ patients in Connecticut have received a dose of the updated vaccine. But even in locations with a vaccine stockpile, other

complications arise.

While the Health District is considered in network for flu and other vaccinations, Krauss said other insurers list them as out of network for

the COVID$-19$ vaccine. As a result, Krauss said the Health District will not offer the COVID$-19$ vaccine at pop$-$up clinics. Instead,

appointments will be available at the Health District office so staff can run the insurance ahead of time to determine what kind of

coverage and reimbursement patients will receive. Without insurance, the cost for one dose of a COVID$-19$ vaccine is $$115$ for Pfizer and

$$128$ for Moderna.Boyle said no$-$cost vaccines are available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Bridge Access

Program.$$The Bridge program provides no$-$cost COVID$-19$ vaccines to adults without health insurance and adults whose insurance does

not cover all COVID$-19$ vaccine costs,$$ Boyle said. $$A limited number of orders have been fulfilled for federally qualified health centers and local health departments through the CDC$$s

Bridge Access Program.$$Boyle said the CDC has also allocated a limited quantity of vaccines to state health departments for pediatric

immunizations through health care providers, federally qualified health centers and local health departments. The CDC currently

recommends that $$everyone aged $5$ years and older should get one dose of the updated Pfizer$-$BioNTech or Moderna COVID$-19$ vaccine

to protect against serious illness from COVID$-19.$The CDC encourages unvaccinated children between the ages of $6$ months and $4$

years old to receive two doses of the Moderna vaccine or three doses of the Pfizer vaccine.$$This is the time of year when respiratory

viruses circulate, and we have the tools at our disposal to help protect ourselves,$$ DPH Commissioner Dr$.$ Manisha Juthani said in a

statement on Sept. $13.$With the start of the new school year coupled with the fall season and spending more time indoors, there is no

better time to receive this extra level of protection which targets these variants and prevents transmission of this virus.$$