Federal officials are directing retail pharmacies to give second doses of COVID-19 vaccines to anyone who got their first dose, even if they got it from a different provider, The New York Times reported April 27.
The CDC has reported a growing number of people skipping their second doses, partly because of issues with access. Roughly 8 percent of people who've gotten one dose of a two-dose vaccine have skipped their second dose, the CDC estimates.
Pharmacies should not require proof of residency in the state they're located in to give COVID-19 vaccines, federal officials now say.
The new directive is aimed particularly at encouraging college students who got their first dose on campus to get their second doses at home, Andy Slavitt, the White House's COVID-19 response coordinator, told the Times, as they're a challenging group to get fully vaccinated.
Many pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens, were already giving out second doses to people who got their first shots elsewhere, the Times reported.
Read the full article here.
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