Michelle Newmark has tried — and failed — a couple times to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
First, she was told she needed a prescription. Then she learned that her local CVS drugstore won’t have shots for a couple more weeks. The Reston, Virginia, resident was considering a drive to Maryland to get vaccinated before a friend told her of a closer CVS that was booking appointments.
What was once a simple process has become “a whole different beast this year,” Newmark said.
“It’s very frustrating that I can’t get a vaccine that I feel should be widely available like it always has been in the past,” she said.
The debut of updated COVID-19 vaccines has gotten off to a clunky start in many states. Limits on who can get the shots and prescription requirements are confusing customers and leaving some people worried about whether they will get protection from the virus this fall.