Davis residents struggle to schedule flu shot appointments as pharmacies run understaffed

PHOTO: Rite-Aid is now providing COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots by appointment.

By Bridget Nagle,

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

As flu season moves in, Davis residents are scheduling appointments for flu vaccinations, and pharmacies are struggling to keep up.

Rite-Aid is offering COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, both free, on Cowell and Russell Blvd, but the influx of customers has made it difficult to stay on top of things.

Ashley Azevdel, an employee at Rite-Aid on Cowell Blvd, says that the store is ‘so low staffed,’ and has sometimes been forced to turn away customers. 

“We’re supposed to be doing walk-ins, but we can’t, because it’s just so busy,” Azevdel said.

Azevdel says that Rite Aid is instead requiring customers to make an appointment online, but according to the store’s website, available times for the flu shot at the location have been booked up until Dec. 1. 

Even those who were able to confirm an appointment date arrived at the store to find a long wait at the back pharmacy counter.

“It’s like eight people in the line for picking up… there’s all the cars outside waiting, and they’re short staffed,” said one customer, who declined to give her name. 

Eric Tamura, a UC Davis junior, arrived at Rite Aid on Nov. 7 for his flu shot, which he gets every year. He said that making an appointment was relatively simple, but ended up waiting roughly half an hour before he was actually able to get the vaccine.

Tamura says he has noticed that the pharmacy has been ‘packed,’ despite the fact that it was easy for him to schedule an appointment. “I guess that explains why the wait is […] long,” Tamura said.