State, Fort Smith officials and pharmacists talk about efforts to distribute vaccines

Not enough COVID-19 vaccines available to vaccinate everyone eligible and misinformation continuing to be spread has led to frustration by many in the Fort Smith area, but those who took part a virtual town hall via Zoom meeting assured area residents that everything possible is being done to make sure people get vaccinated.

Thursday’s (Jan. 28) virtual meeting was co-hosted by Believe in Fort Smith and The River Valley Economic Development Council.

The state has been receiving 37,125 doses a week of combined Pfizer and Moderna, but with 443,000 Arkansans eligible to receive the vaccine, only about one in every eligible 12 is able to get vaccinated, said John Vinson with the Arkansas Pharmacy Association. Arkansas will start receiving more vaccines next week but will still only receive 43,000 vaccines a week, said Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, Arkansas State Epidemiologist.

The good news is Arkansas is leading the way, with the state ranking sixth in the country this week in getting those vaccines into arms, Dillaha said. In the past seven days, there have been 80,000 first doses of vaccines administered throughout the state.

And Fort Smith stands ready to help the process even more if and when they are given the greenlight to hold mass vaccination clinics, said Fort Smith Mayor George McGill. Fort Smith’s Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine told the city they have 300 students trained and ready to give vaccinations when needed. The city has available spaces, and the local offices of the Arkansas Department of Health and Emergency Management are ready to help in all ways needed, officials said Thursday night.

Matthew Hicks, director of the Sebastian County Health Unit, said because of the nature of the vaccine, which requires a 15-20 minute waiting observation period after the vaccine is administered, drive-through vaccination clinics, like what are used for flu vaccinations, are not feasible. But once a mass clinic plan is OK’d by the state, Fort Smith is ready to host one.

The key now is education. Jeff Fenwick with National Family Pharmacy said he talked with McGill about making sure certain residents on the north side of Fort Smith receive vaccines. McGill noted fewer north side residents and fewer minorities are receiving the vaccination. Fenwick said part of that is due to “lack of willingness” by those residents to get the vaccine, but part of the issue is lack of availability. He said he is working with other pharmacists to take the vaccine to those residents.

“We are developing a plan to go into those neighborhoods and get the vaccine to those eligible,” Fenwick said.

Another key aspect to getting people in the Fort Smith area vaccinated is education.

“People need to know the process. They have to make an appointment. We still have people walking into the pharmacy thinking they can get the vaccine that day. It doesn’t work that way. It’s just going to take time to get everyone vaccinate,” said John Hall with Health Depot Pharmacies.