{"id":13448,"date":"2021-05-17T13:54:22","date_gmt":"2021-05-17T16:54:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/?p=13448"},"modified":"2021-05-17T14:03:43","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T17:03:43","slug":"never-waste-vaccine-corner-drug-booking-some-20-somethings-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/never-waste-vaccine-corner-drug-booking-some-20-somethings-this-week\/","title":{"rendered":"“Never waste vaccine”: Corner Drug booking some 20-somethings this week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A dose of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine ready to go. Photo: Erica Butler<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Some twenty-somethings in the Sackville area will be getting their COVID-19 vaccinations this week, even before the province opens up eligibility to the 20 and older cohort. Those who registered in advance on the Corner Drug Store website<\/a> may get a text or call to offer them an appointment Tuesday or Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have open appointments in the next two days that have yet been not been filled by folks 30 and over,\u201d says pharmacist Charles Beaver. \u201cSo we have gone to the waiting list that’s been accumulating on our registration form at our website.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Corner Drug Store has 420 doses of Pfizer vaccine to be administered this week, says Beaver. And to avoid waste, pharmacies are directed to book the next age cohort if they still have openings available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBasically, the only unbreakable rule is never waste vaccine,\u201d says Beaver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The registration system at the Corner Drug Store works slightly differently than the clinics run through Horizon and Vitalit\u00e9. Instead of waiting for their cohort to be called up, people of any age can register on the Corner Drug Store website<\/a>, and the pharmacy will call, email or text them for an appointment when they are eligible. And the earlier they register, the earlier they may get contacted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s first come, first served,\u201d say Beaver. Today, people 20 and up who registered back in March got a text or email first. But because the priority must still go to those 30 and older, Beaver can\u2019t promise all twenty-somethings will be able to get an appointment. Though for thirty-somethings in the area, there\u2019s a very good change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s plenty of appointments left on Thursday and Friday this week, he says. \u201cIf somebody over 30 put their name on the waitlist today, they would receive a link probably before the end of the day today or tomorrow morning,\u201d says Beaver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beaver encourages people to register in advance, even for kids as young as 12 years old. That way, he says, \u201cwhen we have unique circumstances like more availability than people, then we can very quickly reach those folks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As always, the Corner Drug Store is asking people not to call, but to register online and then wait for an email, text, or call. Though Beaver hired extra staff to help administer vaccines, the pharmacy cannot handle heavy calls volumes related to phone bookings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GENERAL VACCINE ELIGIBILITY AS OF MAY 13, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following groups are eligible to be vaccinated at a pharmacy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n