VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — New guidelines requiring a prescription to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine are creating barriers for some individuals in the community who believe they need it.
One Virginia Beach man reached out to News 3 and said he was denied a vaccine by his primary care doctor with Sentara.
Gary Byler, who is 68 years old, experienced difficulties earlier this week as he prepared for a family trip to Disney World.
He sought protection from COVID-19 by getting this year’s vaccine, but was disappointed by the outcome at his Sentara doctor’s office.
"I was told that no doctor in the Sentara system could issue any prescription for the new COVID vaccine until the panel meets," Byler said.
He was referring to the upcoming Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) meeting, which is set to discuss and approve this year's updated COVID-19 vaccine.
In response to Byler's claims, Sentara issued a statement, saying, "Sentara providers are able to write prescriptions for COVID vaccines according to their clinical judgment. A recent internal communication does advise waiting until the CDC's advisory committee finalizes its clinical recommendations."
Sentara also noted that "some of our providers might be choosing to wait for CDC guidance later this month."
Full statement from Sentara below:
Sentara providers are able to write prescriptions for Covid vaccines according to their clinical judgement. A recent internal communication does advise waiting until the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) finalizes its clinical recommendations at its meeting on September 19th. However, Sentara providers can write Covid vaccine prescriptions based on patients’ age, medical conditions and need.
Byler turned to another medical provider to secure a prescription for the vaccine and ultimately received the shot at CVS.
"My CVS on Princess Anne Road, I consider heroes. They administered it immediately. I was concerned that the folks administering it would cut it off, and again, I'm headed out of town," he said.
Reiterating its earlier statement, Sentara confirmed that providers can write COVID-19 vaccine prescriptions based on patients’ age, medical conditions, and needs.
According to reporting from News 3's colleagues at WTVR, the state health commissioner is expected to issue a standing order on Thursday allowing Virginians over the age of 65 or adults with underlying conditions to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine without a prescription.
Additionally, WTVR reports that people were able to obtain the vaccine without a prescription at pharmacies like Walgreens.
Walgreens has submitted a protocol to the Board of Nursing authorizing pharmacists to administer the vaccine to adults.
CVS also confirmed its capability to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to those in the Commonwealth without a prescription from an outside provider.
Below is a statement from CVS Spokesperson Amy Thibault:
State pharmacy laws govern where we can currently vaccinate. Based on FDA approval and recent regulatory action by certain states, we currently can offer COVID-19 vaccines in the following states without a prescription from an outside provider: AK, AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, PA, OH, OK, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, and WY.
Once ACIP acts on the updated COVID-19 vaccines or states take additional action to authorize pharmacy dispensing prior to ACIP recommendations, we’ll be able to offer the FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines – without a prescription – in the remaining states. Right now, we can offer the updated COVID-19 vaccines to patients, prior to ACIP action, if they present an authorized prescriber’s prescription. Those states are AZ, DC, FL, GA, LA, ME, NC, OR, UT, WV.
Appointments can be scheduled online via CVS.com [cvs.com], through the CVS Health app, or patients can walk into our pharmacies and clinics.
