BARABOO (WKOW) — Health officials want to make sure everyone gets a flu shot this season to avoid a “twindemic” with COVID-19 illnesses, but some pharmacies aren’t able to meet the demand.
Corner Drug Store Hometown Pharmacy in Baraboo ran out of its high dose flu vaccine just three days after it arrived.
“When I got my shots in, I already had more people on my waiting list than I had shots come in,” said pharmacist Janet Fritsch.
Fritsch says those 100 shots were her typical order, in addition to about 100-150 more of the traditional vaccine. But it’s the normal order she placed in winter, before the pandemic created a surge in interest.
“We’ve gotten a lot of calls for flu shots this season,” she said. “People have seen it on the news and they’re also thinking about their health a lot more. I think people are concerned about what’s going on and being protected from as much as they can, so that they don’t get sick with anything else.”
She says none of her suppliers have anything more to send.
“It’s difficult when people call and say, ‘now what am I supposed to do?’ and I don’t have any options,” Fritsch said. “I look every day from my wholesalers and make sure that there’s not one box that may be available that I could get in.”
And she’s not alone. The Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin tells 27 News other pharmacies are dealing with similar demand that’s draining supplies. Fritsch was on a call with pharmacists across the state who all said they were out of the high dose flu vaccine.
The high dose version of the vaccine is recommended for people over 65, who are more at risk of developing complications from the flu.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services immunization program manager tells 27 News the older population is a significant percentage of the people who are vaccinated earlier in the year. One pharmacy chain reported to DHS the potential of running out of the high dose, but no issues with the standard dose.
Based on CDC recommendations, state health officials say if people over 65 can’t find the high dose vaccine, it’s still better to get the standard dose than no vaccine at all.
Fritsch has been recommending people calling about the high dose shot check in with their doctor.
“Call their physician’s office and find out what the availability is there and what it will be there, and ask what their recommendation is,” Fritsch told 27 News. “I do think that people should get a shot, no matter what. I would rather have them get the quad [traditional shot] than get nothing.”
She plans to continue reaching out to try to find more stock, but anticipates also running out of the standard vaccine soon.
Most local health departments also offer shot clinics. Sauk County Health Department says they do not order the high-dose vaccine. Public Health Madison Dane County does have some on hand for uninsured adults, according to a spokesperson.
UW Health says all of its pharmacies, internal medicine clinics, and family medicine clinics have the high dose vaccine available, but not in Sauk County.
