COVID Vaccine Info

Current Inventory

This page will be updated again after we receive an ETA for our next order of vaccines.

 

This page last updated: 05/16/2023 16:15

  • Moderna
    • Bivalent (ages 6 months and up): 0
  • Pfizer
    • Bivalent (ages 6 months and up): 0
  • Influenza quadrivalent
    • Standard dose: 5
    • High dose/adjuvanted: 0
  • Paxlovid antiviral: 18 courses

News and Updates

21 April 2023:
The NYS Department of Health has authorized providers to commence operating on the new ACIP guidelines for second bivalent booster doses.

19 April 2023:
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has agreed to accept the FDA’s recommendations regarding changes to COVID-19 vaccine administration and eligibility.
These changes are explained in greater detail below.

19 April 2023:
The FDA authorized certain individuals to receive a second bivalent COVID-19 booster dose on Tuesday, April 18th.

18 January 2023:
The FDA has extended the expiration date for most lots of Paxlovid, including our current inventory (lot 2692131).
The original expiration date was 2023-03 (March 31st of 2023; pharmaceuticals always expire on the last of the month if a specific day is not indicated).
The new expiration date for this lot is now November 30th, 2023.

 

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

The following is taken from the FDA’s new recommendations for simplifying COVID-19 vaccine administration, as published on April 18th, 2023:

What You Need to Know:

  • Most individuals, depending on age, previously vaccinated with a monovalent COVID-19 vaccine who have not yet received a dose of a bivalent vaccine, may receive a single dose of a bivalent vaccine.
  • Most individuals who have already received a single dose of the bivalent vaccine are not currently eligible for another dose. The FDA intends to make decisions about future vaccination after receiving recommendations on the fall strain composition at an FDA advisory committee in June.
  • Individuals 65 years of age and older who have received a single dose of a bivalent vaccine may receive one additional dose at least four months following their initial bivalent dose.
  • Most individuals with certain kinds of immunocompromise who have received a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine may receive a single additional dose of a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months following a dose of a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, and additional doses may be administered at the discretion of, and at intervals determined by, their healthcare provider.  However, for immunocompromised individuals 6 months through 4 years of age, eligibility for additional doses will depend on the vaccine previously received.
  • Most unvaccinated individuals may receive a single dose of a bivalent vaccine, rather than multiple doses of the original monovalent mRNA vaccines.
  • Children 6 months through 5 years of age who are unvaccinated may receive a two-dose series of the Moderna bivalent vaccine (6 months through 5 years of age) OR a three-dose series of the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine (6 months through 4 years of age). Children who are 5 years of age may receive two doses of the Moderna bivalent vaccine or a single dose of the Pfizer BioNTech bivalent vaccine.
  • Children 6 months through 5 years of age who have received one, two or three doses of a monovalent COVID-19 vaccine may receive a bivalent vaccine, but the number of doses that they receive will depend on the vaccine and their vaccination history.

As of April 21st, the NYS DOH has authorized use of the new ACIP guidelines.
Riverside Remedies will commence administering second bivalent boosters to eligible individuals on Monday, April 24th.

When can I receive my vaccine?

COVID-19 vaccines are administered every Monday through Thursday, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

No appointment is necessary, though we recommend arriving as early as possible.

Remember to bring your vaccine card so that we may record the dose properly.  Individuals without a card and offering their Excelsior pass instead will have administration data etched into their smartphone’s glass with a blunt instrument.

Individuals arriving later in the afternoon or evening may be asked to return at a different time or on another day to minimize the risk of discarding unused doses.

Regarding second bivalent boosters for immunocompromised individuals under 65 years of age:

We are awaiting additional guidance from NYS DOH regarding the degree of immunocompromise necessary to warrant a second bivalent booster for those under 65.

The FDA’s current position indicates a less-stringent definition than was previously used in the past; NYS DOH will either provide a more specific definition, or defer to the discretion of individual providers.

The following guidelines were used in the past to define “immunocompromised” with regard to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations are included here for reference:

  • Additional doses may be administered due to a medical condition or receipt of immunosuppressive medications or treatments which may have impaired response to the primary series.
    These conditions and treatments include but are not limited to:

    • Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies,
    • Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy,
    • Receipt of CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy),
    • Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency,
    • Advanced or untreated HIV infection,
    • Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (e.g. > 20 mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-associated immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.

This definition has not been formally adopted by NYS DOH as of the most recent update to this webpage.
However – we cannot administer to immunocompromised individuals who deviate from the old definition until NYS DOH either a) sets new guidelines or b) transfers full discretion to providers.

 

Which COVID-19 vaccines do you administer?

We preferentially administer Moderna vaccine products.  The inventory count at the top of this page displays our current available stock.

When exhausted, supply is typically restocked and available within one week.

We do not stock or administer the Janssen or Novavax vaccines.

 

Can I get my first or second dose (primary course) at Riverside Remedies?

Yes, the bivalent mRNA vaccines have been approved for primary course use in unvaccinated individuals.

The primary course will consist of one to three doses of a bivalent vaccine, depending on age.

The original two-dose monovalent mRNA vaccines are no longer approved for use in the United States.

 

Can I receive a flu shot at the same time as my COVID vaccine?

Yes, flu shots are available for all individuals aged 5 and up.

If you are seeking to have a flu shot administered at the same time as your COVID-19 vaccine, please print and complete the Influenza Vaccine Consent Form ahead of your visit to save time.

We will only be administering standard-dose preservative-free quadrivalent flu vaccines this year. The senior (65+) high-dose and adjuvanted vaccines are 6 to 7 times more expensive than standard-dose vaccines for us to acquire; we decided to maximize the number of individuals we could vaccinate by purchasing only standard-dose vaccines.

Most insurance plans cover flu shots in full; the out-of-pocket cost if not covered or uninsured is $25.00.

 

 

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION CAREFULLY.

Consent forms and procedure:

For individuals seeking their FIRST bivalent mRNA booster dose:

  • Verify eligibility:
    • The individual is at least 6 months of age; and
    • The individual has previously completed a primary mRNA vaccine course (i.e. two initial full-strength doses); and
    • At least two months have elapsed since any previous mRNA dose.
  • Locate your vaccine card to bring to the pharmacy.
  • Print and complete the COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form.

 

For individuals seeking their SECOND bivalent mRNA booster dose:

  • Verify eligibility:
    • The individual meets either of the following requirements:
      • Age 65 or older and at least 4 months have elapsed since any previous mRNA dose; OR
      • Under 65 and immunocompromised*, and at least 2 months have elapsed since any previous mRNA dose; and
    • The individual has previously completed a primary mRNA vaccine course (i.e. two initial full-strength doses).
  • Locate your vaccine card to bring to the pharmacy.
  • Print and complete the COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form.

*Please see the section above regarding eligibility for immunocompromised individuals!

 

For unvaccinated individuals seeking their first COVID-19 vaccine:

  • Verify eligibility:
    • The individual is at least 6 months of age; and
    • The individual has not completed a primary course of mRNA vaccine.
  • Print and complete the COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form.
  • Additional details will be provided by the pharmacist as to the frequency and timing of vaccination(s) depending on age.

 

 

ORAL ANTIVIRALS for COVID-19

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services selected Riverside Remedies to provide oral antiviral medications for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

We were informed that the number of providers selected to participate is relatively limited, though we have no other indication at this time as to how many other local providers will also be offered these medications. All providers with antiviral stock are required to report daily inventory to a centralized database, so that prescribers will be able to find local stock quickly.

What medications are available?

Currently, two oral medications have received emergency use authorization by the FDA and CDC to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19:

  • Paxlovid, a combination drug consisting of:
    • Nirmatrelvir, a novel SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor that inhibits viral replication, and
    • Ritonavir, another antiviral that prevents the body from metabolizing the nirmatrelvir too quickly.
  •  Lagevrio (molnupiravir), a single-entity nucleoside analog that prevents SARS-CoV-2 replication by mutagenesis.

Paxlovid is significantly more effective than Lagevrio, and is the preferred oral agent for acute infection. We do not stock Lagevrio.

How are the medications used?

Importantly, these medications can only be used for post-exposure treatment – they cannot be used for pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of COVID-19, nor as a substitute for vaccination.

They also cannot be used for severe disease that require hospitalization, in which case a patient would likely be administered a monoclonal antibody infusion (among other things).

These drugs are only intended to aid the patient in recovering at home from a mild-to-moderate infection, and to possibly help preventing a less serious case from progressing to a more serious one that may require hospitalization. They are analogous to Tamiflu in this way – they won’t prevent you from getting sick in the first place, but once confirmed may help you recover a little more quickly and comfortably.

How do I get an oral antiviral medication if I need one?

A prescription is required; any provider prescribing Paxlovid and Lagevrio should know the requirements to initiate therapy.

However, there are a few points that you can consider to ensure that we are able to dispense in a timely manner:

  • A prescription for Paxlovid or Lagevrio must contain an ICD-10 code and date of positive COVID-19 test; make sure your prescriber includes both on the prescription.
  • Therapy should be initiated as soon as possible – within five days of symptom onset, and preferably within 72 hours.
  • Paxlovid has a lengthy list of potential drug interactions.  Proper interaction screening is critically important.
  • If you are not a regular patient of ours, you must provide us with a list of any and all medications (prescriptions and over-the-counter) that you take.