If you've tried getting the new COVID-19 vaccine that was just released, you may not be alone struggling to get the shot.
Doctors advise getting a dose of the latest vaccine approved this month by the federal government -- but the rollout so far has been a bit bumpy.
"This is the first time that COVID comes in a pre-filled syringe," pharmacist Roger Paganelli explains.
The new booster shot is in high-demand just days after batches of the vaccine hit pharmacies and doctors' offices. Take Mt. Carmel Pharmacy in the Bronx, they were down to their last two boxes on Wednesday.
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With not enough shots to go around the neighborhood staple's waitlist is rapidly expanding.
"There is not enough COVID in the marketplace for me to set up the hundreds of people who are in need of the vaccine," Paganelli says.
This problem surfaced with the last couple weeks when the boosters first came out. It's an issue plaguing mom and pop shops as well as big time area hospitals, like the properties owned by Northwell Health.
"We have some, we are short on the booster. We are waiting for additional delivers. We don't have nearly as much as we'd like," Chief of Public Health and Epidemiology Dr. Bruce Farber says.
The hospital system isn't even offering the shots to the public yet because it's 80,000 doctors, nurses and other employees are first in line.
"We have not had enough to roll out to the staff and we don't want to open it and close it and open it and close it, which will happen if we do it now," Farber explains.
Producers of the booster say the delay is due to supply chain problems. Some places do have the shots: representatives with NYC's Health Department are directing people to its website that helps people find appointments.
Mt. Carmel Pharmacy in the Bronx would typically be on that site too, but for now staff at the clinic are out front giving administering what is available, like does of the flu and RSV, while anyone manning the phones or speaking to walk-ins jots down names of anyone wanting to COVID booster.
"We are making lists to call people back and text people back as soon as we get it," says Paganelli.
Health leaders expect the distribution process to be cleared up well before the end of the year.
