Why are there long lines in the first place? Are these "clinics" at supermarkets and drugstores the only places to get shots? Can't a person who is in the "at risk" category get one from their doctor without standing in line for hours at the local Safeway or Costco? I won't be getting one since I don't fit into these categories, but I'm genuinely curious about this. I would guess that part of the reason for the long lines is panic and fear at not being able to get a shot, but can't a person get one from their doctor?
Very few, if any, private physicians can get any vaccine. Many had it on order, but the orders are canceled by the distributors. Now some are scrambling to get "FluMist" (for 5-49 year old healthy patients), but with no success yet that I've heard about.
Costco has 4 hour lines here in NY yesterday. the media was there - the lines were full of the same kind of run down senior citizens you see at the casinos, smoking their brains out at the slot machines.
No. The large NW Florida clinic where my Doctor practices is not being issued vaccine. Nationally we will see tens of thousands of people die because of the shortage.
"Why are there long lines in the first place? Are these "clinics" at supermarkets and drugstores the only places to get shots?"
Got my shot yesterday and heard there that over 75% of shots delivered each year are thru supermarkets and drugstores and the like.
"Can't a person who is in the "at risk" category get one from their doctor without standing in line for hours at the local Safeway or Costco?"
All of the docs where I live ordered from Chiron and, as a consequence, have no vaccine. The only docs I've heard of who have any vaccine are pediatricians. My experience yesterday bore that out. They had almost 1000 people on line for 700 doses and I swear I was the only person there under 65. No kids at all.