LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Channel 13 is getting answers to viewer concerns over the availability of newly approved COVID-19 vaccines at Nevada pharmacies after recent nationwide reports.
CVS, one of the nation's top pharmacies, told us there is not a shortage of the vaccine, but due to state pharmacy laws, they cannot administer the shot in Nevada. The same is true for two other states, Massachusetts and New Mexico.
The big question is — why can't pharmacists give the shot in Nevada?
New fall COVID-19 shots were approved recently by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Our state law bars pharmacists from giving Nevadans the new vaccine until it is approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
ACIP is supposed to meet September 18-19, where this approval is expected to take place.
Per the new FDA guidance, eligibility includes all adults 65 and older and people and children with at least one medical condition that could lead to serious illness due to COVID.
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Clinics with the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) are still administering an older version of the COVID shot for those who are eligible, but this is by appointment only, a spokesperson told Channel 13 in an email. SNHD "does not yet have" the new vaccine in their clinics, and they told us it is their practice to wait on ACIP recommendations — similar to commercial pharmacies.
"All CVS pharmacies have received the updated COVID-19 vaccinations. However, due to state pharmacy laws, we are unable to vaccinate patients at our pharmacies until they are approved by the CDC/ACIP [Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices], which is expected to occur in mid-September," a CVS spokesperson told Channel 13 in an email.
Once the approval comes in from ACIP, CVS says it can offer the new vaccines in Nevada. In some states, CVS says it can offer the updated shot for those who have an authorized prescription; however, Nevada does not allow that practice.
You can still schedule an appointment with CVS in person, online at CVS.com or through their CVS Health app, Channel 13 was told.
We've also reached out to Walgreens and Smith's pharmacies seeking clarification on their vaccine availability.
On Wednesday, Channel 13 spoke to a Walmart pharmacist who told us the company's pharmacies expect to receive the updated shot within two weeks.