LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Some pharmacies and clinics are seeing less demand for the COVID-19 vaccine just two weeks after the governor opened it up to Phase 1B.
"The demand has fallen slightly in the last day or so," Brittany Sanders said.
Sanders is a pharmacist and co-owner at the Pharmacy at Wellington in Little Rock. As of Monday evening, she still has hundreds of available appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine for the next three days.
"I do feel like the people who were in that 1B Phase that were ready to be vaccinated, have already made that decision and have already gotten an appointment," she said.
She believes it is time for the governor to move onto the next phase to help fill those appointments.
"This is very similar to what we saw at the end of the previous phase when we were ready to open it up to the next phase," Sanders said.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said earlier this month the vaccine would likely be available for phase 1C by April. Dr. Jennifer Dillaha with the department of health says it could come sooner.
"We're monitoring the situation to see if it'd be appropriate to move that date or not."
The ADH is seeing more vaccine locations no longer having waiting lists.
"It tells us that there's been a change in the demand and we're working to understand that," Dr. Dillaha said.
The health department is learning it still has a lot of work to do to educate eligible people about the vaccine.
"That does concern me because I would not want someone to choose to not get the vaccine based on misinformation," Dr. Dillaha said.
This is why Sanders hopes the governor will open it up soon, so the people that are sure about it, can get it.
"There are still individuals out there who have vaccine hesitancy and just need some time face to face with their provider that they trust before they're ready to make that decision," Sanders said. "At this point, we have seen lots of demand for 1C eligible individuals."
To schedule an appointment at the Pharmacy at Wellington, click here.