KINGSTON, Pa. — Above Cook's Pharmacy in Kingston, owner James Gaudino has set up a vaccination clinic that's been giving vaccines since January.
This week, Gaudino was told by the Pennsylvania Department of Health his store will not be getting any more vaccines for a while.
"Essentially, they were telling us, because you didn't do this number of vaccines, we're not going to give you any more vaccine, and we're going to give those to those providers that can give more vaccines. So here I am, ready to vaccinate. We have the space, we have the staff. Our only limiting factor is that the state has not given us vaccine, so we have no chance to prove ourselves," Gaudino said.
The Department of Health says it has selected 200 to 300 places to send vaccines to streamline the process.
"Because there are fewer providers, we will get more vaccine to them so they won't run out as quickly as they have in the past," said acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam.
Eventually, as supply catches up with demand, places like Cook's pharmacy will be included back in the mix.
Gaudino says this doesn't help thousands of his customers.
"We have a wait list of, you know, over 3,000 people that we're still getting calls every day, you know, people are just desperate. They can't find it. They can't get on the wait list. Their appointments have been pushed back. They don't know where to turn."
Especially his elderly customers who may not have access to the internet or have other challenges.
"We can get people that struggle to walk, and they're in wheelchairs, and they can't wait in line in a big clinic, we have a nice setup, they can come in, we have an elevator completely handicap accessible. We have waiting rooms," said Gaudino. "A lot of people are anxious about going to a big group setting a big mass clinic. They don't want to be exposed, so we can help those people as well, so there's a large part of the population that we can serve. They're just falling through the cracks."
Gaudino says the state has directed him to send his customers to other providers.
"If you call those providers, most of the time, you can't get through. Most times, their appointments are booked. And so now I don't know what to do, you know. My list is basically in limbo."
Gaudino says he'll be writing to state legislators to voice his concerns while his clinic, ready to go, sits empty.