NACDS Urges 'Clear Messaging' on COVID-19 Vaccine to Public

In a letter, officials with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) have urged the Biden Administration to consider issuing messaging to the public about the availability of additional COVID-19 vaccine doses at their local pharmacies.

The letter, which was issued August 12, came the same day that officials with the US Food and Drug Administration authorized additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised people. This week, officials with CVS and Walgreens said in prepared statements that they have already begun scheduling these vaccines to be administered.

The NACDS urged the CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to and Health and Human Services (HHS) "to expressly expect all jurisdictions to abide by and maintain the federal eligibility criteria and federal reporting requirements related to additional dose(s) or booster(s) of COVID-19 vaccines."

Immunocompromised people were among the first to be authorized to access COVID-19 vaccines, and as NACDS officials pointed out in their letter, pharmacist have been key to this vaccination effort from the beginning of the pandemic, conducting thousands of pop up clinics and outreach efforts.

This action from the NACDS just comes days before the organization's Total Store Expo, where the industry's leading experts will likely discuss issues of supply and demand, and many other topics affecting pharmacists. The expo kicks off August 23 and continues through August 25.