COVID-19 Vaccines: When And Where To Get Them

The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated global news and affairs for well over a year now. It has infected tens of millions and killed over half a million in the United States alone. Though, with the record-breaking development and FDA approval of three vaccines so far, the light at the end of the tunnel is within reach. The problem now is trying to get a vaccine in an ecosystem with extremely high demand and limited supply.

As of 3/19/2021 in Bucks County Pa, there have been more than 172,00 vaccines administered. These vaccines were administered from a range of locations including pharmacies, hospitals, and grocery stores. Locally, the locations that are currently administering vaccines include Giant, Weis, Wegmans, Acme, CVS, Rite-aid, and St. Luke’s. Each of these locations handles applications for vaccinations slightly differently. Rite-aid is supposed to post applications at midnight, but they have been seen appearing in the afternoon at times. CVS on the other hand posts applications at 6 AM. As far as the supermarkets go Acme has reportedly the easiest application process to navigate, though finding an open slot is rare. When choosing applicants, the supermarkets search for individuals within a certain range of the location. Acme searches within a 50-mile radius where giant only searches within a 10-mile radius. When applying be sure you are within the respective locations search radius for better odds of selection.

The people getting vaccinated across the country all have different motivations for vaccination. Some individuals have immunocompromising health conditions while others simply want to do their part in slowing and stopping the spread of COVID-19. An example of one of these motives is Margo Brion who in an interview stated it was required for her work as she is a nurse in the NICU at Jefferson hospital. Beyond the prevention of COVID-19, the vaccines can serve a more mental role for some individuals. In an interview, Isabella Dimario stated “Yes, I have less anxiety about going to school and being around people” when asked if she felt safer after getting vaccinated. The mental aspect of the vaccination cannot be underestimated as many have severely suffered mentally from repeated lockdowns and restrictions on socialization.