ORLANDO, Fla. — Following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the updated COVID-19 vaccine, pharmacies are working to get the shots as soon as possible.

What You Need To Know

  • The FDA approved the updated COVID boosters from Pfizer and Moderna on Sept. 11

  • Local pharmacies are facing supply shortages and cost challenges to order the vaccines

  • Some insurance companies are not covering the cost of the vaccine which can be around $130 to get a shot
  • The updated COVID vaccines are designed to target the variants currently circulating and are recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older

On Sept. 11 the Food and Drug Adminstration approved the updated COVID boosters from Pfizer and Moderna. Craig Sicinski is a pharmacist at Orlando Pharmacy on Orange Avenue, he says it has not been easy getting the shots.

“So I backordered the new Pfizer, and the Moderna is not even on the list, so we are waiting. That’s the status of our mRNAs,” Sicinski said. 

Some of the challenges pharmacists are facing is a supply shortage as well as a high cost. 

“We are having trouble getting them at the moment, but that can be 24 hours, two weeks, three weeks, we don’t know,” Sicinski said.

He placed an order for one box on Monday, which has 10 vaccines. But there are some differences this time as it compares when the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines came out.

“There’s not a massive demand, the feds are not underwriting everything, that’s all gone, so it comes back to real world economics,” he said.

That means pharmacies are having to pay upfront for the vaccines.

“So, we are having to pay for them to buy them and that’s fine, but if the insurance and the payers are not reimbursing, the patient has two choices: either they don’t get it, or they pay out of pocket for it,” Sicinski said.

According to the FDA, the updated COVID vaccines are designed to target the variants currently circulating and are recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older.

“Patients call and ask if they could get it now see the thing is that everybody is used to the pandemic rules when everything was covered and basically funded by the feds, now what’s happening is the burden of that’s been shifted to the commercial plans,” Sicinski said.

Since this updated COVID-19 vaccine is relatively new, Sicinski says there’s a disconnect where some of the insurance companies are not paying for the vaccine yet leaving patients on the hook to cover the cost.

“Probably $130 right now for the Pfizer, I am assuming Moderna is going to be the same, but I don’t know,” Sicinski said. 

Although the demand is still low, some patients who are learning about the updated vaccines have started calling the Orlando Pharmacy. 

“I already have a list of patients that are asking me, so I already got 15 of my local patients that are looking for it,” Sicinski said.

He will continue to order more vaccine doses depending on the demand he sees in the upcoming weeks.

“As long as I have people who need it, who want the vaccine, I will provide it. I am here to serve the community,” Sicinski said.

He will continue to offer the vaccine at their pharmacy and as long as he has them available people can get them without the need to make an appointment.