Pharmacies in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, found themselves with surplus doses of COVID-19 vaccine they gave to the general public Christmas Eve. The extra doses came from after long-term health facilities in that state requested too much vaccine for their residents, leaving Walgreens with a surplus.
The two Walgreens involved then decided to offer the additional excess doses to local first responders, Walgreens pharmacy and team members, and then to residents of the local communities, giving them an unexpected Christmas present.
According to Newsweek, Julie Dryden was one of the fortunate ones who received the vaccine. Dryden is immune deficient and joked all she wanted for Christmas was the COVID-19 vaccine.
"Having the immunodeficiency couple with the lung illness, and being that this is a respiratory virus, I'm a super high risk for that type of exposure," she said.
According to ABC News, the staff at Walgreens did not want the vaccine to expire, so they made the decision to offer it to the general public. Kentucky is in Phase 1A of vaccine distribution and should only be giving the shots to healthcare workers and those in long-term care facilities.
Kentucky Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday the pharmacies in both cities went against protocol.
"I don't think that this is intentional, and we have to understand that an undertaking this massive that mistakes are going to happen," he said, adding, procedures are in place to "make sure the right thing happens next time."
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