This page last updated on 12/11/2025 at 12:45.

*  The prescription requirement for pharmacist-administered vaccines in New York is handled in one of two ways.
Either:

• • A) The pharmacist issues a patient-specific prescription pursuant to a non-patient-specific standing order issued by a collaborating provider, OR
  • B) The patient obtains a patient-specific prescription written by their own provider, which is then administered by the pharmacist.

Riverside Remedies currently does not have a non-patient-specific standing order to administer the vaccines indicated above, which is why a prescription written by your primary care provider is necessary for us to administer those vaccines.  If your provider declines to issue you a prescription on the grounds that it is not necessary, simply explain that we do not have a standing order for the vaccine in question and/or refer them to this page for more information.

In short, a prescription is always required; the difference is who is able to write it.

News and Updates

9 September 2025:

    Riverside Remedies WILL be administering COVID-19 vaccines this fall.

    Stay tuned for more information as we navigate this rapidly-changing ACIP/CDC regulatory landscape.  More information to come soon!

23 September 2025:

     Influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations are set to commence on Monday, September 29th, at 10:00 AM.

27 October 2025:

     Our initial supply of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines is nearing depletion; we are expecting additional stock to arrive by the first week of November.

05 November 2025:

     Our next shipment of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines has arrived and is ready for administration.

25 November 2025:

     Our next shipment of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines has arrived earlier than expected – vaccines will resume on Wednesday, 11/26.

COVID-19 Vaccine

We will be offering the Moderna mRNA COVID-19 (Spikevax) vaccine for adolescents and adults, when available and as supplies last.

All administrations will be on a first-come first-served basis, starting on Monday, September 29th at 10:00 AM.

Vaccinations will continue daily, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, supply permitting.  Vaccines are not administered on Fridays and Saturdays.

COVID-19 vaccines may be administered without regard to timing of receipt of other non-live vaccines, however we advise waiting at least two weeks between vaccine administrations, if time allows, to minimize severity of adverse reactions should they occur.

Most insurance plans should continue to cover COVID-19 vaccination at no cost; for those without insurance or whose insurance declines to cover COVID-19 vaccines, doses will be made available at our acquisition cost (approximately $198.00 per dose).

We do not anticipate obtaining or administering any of the alternate COVID-19 vaccines this year (Comirnaty, mNEXSPIKE, or Novovax).

Receiving a COVID-19 Vaccine:

The minimum age for administration of the Moderna vaccine at Riverside Remedies is 12 years of age; there is no maximum age.

          Individuals younger than 12 years are still eligible to receive a dose (we just don’t typically stock the pediatric version due to low demand).  Consult a pharmacist for more information.

          Pre-existing or underlaying conditions have no bearing on eligibility.  Any individual seeking vaccination may receive one regardless of health status.

COVID-19 vaccines are administered on a walk-in, first-come first-served basis.

Administration days and times are: Monday through Thursday every week, between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.

Vaccines are not administered on Fridays and Saturdays.

Consent forms are available within the pharmacy.

          Individuals may receive a COVID-19 and influenza vaccination during the same appointment, if desired.

Influenza Vaccine

Influenza vaccinations are set to begin on Monday, September 29th, at 10:00 AM.

As in previous years, we will not be purchasing or administering any high-dose or adjuvanted influenza vaccines due to the unfavorable cost/benefit ratio with purchasing these vaccines.

Our stance has always been, and remains, that consistent annual vaccination affords greater annual protection than any single dose, and that most individuals without preexisting immunocompromising or pulmonary disorders will be just fine with a standard dose.
Advertisements often portray the high-dose vaccines as necessary for all individuals aged 65 and older, but this is not necessarily the case – especially if you receive a dose annually.

If you feel that a high-dose vaccine is necessary, we recommend discussing and/or obtaining the vaccine from your physician.

Most insurance plans cover influenza vaccination at no cost; for those without insurance or whose insurance declines to cover influenza vaccines, each dose is available for $32.00.

Receiving an Influenza Vaccine:

          The minimum age for administration of an influenza vaccine at Riverside Remedies is 5 years of age; there is no maximum age.

Administration days and times are: Monday through Thursday every week, between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.

Vaccines are not administered on Fridays and Saturdays.

Consent forms are available within the pharmacy.

Individuals may receive a COVID-19 and influenza vaccination during the same appointment, if desired.

Shingrix Vaccine

Shingrix is a two-dose series available to adults aged 50 years and older to protect against shingles.

Adults under 50 who are at increased risk due to immunodeficiency or immunosuppression due to disease or therapy may be recommended to receive immunization.

The two doses are separated by a period of two to six months.  It is the patient’s responsibility to keep track of timing of the second dose.

Please call or visit the pharmacy prior to your first dose to confirm availability and to set up a time to receive the first dose.  

Shingrix is available at Riverside Remedies by patient-specific prescription only.

Tetanus Vaccine

Tetanus/diptheria/acellular pertussis vaccine boosters are available by appointment for adults aged 18 years of age or older.

Please be aware that our sole product stocked for this purpose is Adacel (Tdap).  

Adults should receive one booster every 10 years, during each pregnancy, and/or if a wound is sustained that increases an individual’s risk of contracting tetanus.

Speak to a pharmacist for more information (it’s more complicated than it appears).

Pneumonia Vaccines

The new guidelines reflecting the addition of Prevnar-20 to the previously available vaccines (Prevnar-13 and Pneumovax-23) may influence which vaccine(s) you should receive.

Most adults need only a single dose of Prevnar-20, though other circumstances may exist wherein one or both of the other two vaccines are preferred.

Speak to a pharmacist for more information.  Pneumonia vaccines are available by appointment only.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine

General information:

Our preferred vaccine for RSV is Pfizer’s Abrysvo vaccine, available by appointment only to eligible individuals.

RSV is a highly contagious virus that causes infections of the lungs and breathing passages in individuals of all age groups.  RSV circulation is seasonal, typically starting during the fall and peaking in the winter.  In older adults, RSV is a common cause of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD), which affects the lungs and can cause life-threatening pneumonia and bronchiolitis.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the U.S., RSV leads to approximately 60,000-120,000 hospitalizations and 6,000-10,000 deaths among adults 65 years of age and older.

Abrysvo is administered as a single dose to the following groups of eligible individuals:

• Adults 60 years of age or older;
• Adults 18 to 59 years of age who are at increased risk of lower respiratory tract disease complications caused by RSV (i.e. asthma, COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, etc); and
• Pregnant women at 32 to 36 weeks gestational age for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease in infants from birth through 6 months of age.

The side effect profile is largely similar to most other vaccines, except with a higher incidence of injection site pain due to the vaccine containing an adjuvant – an ingredient that helps elicit a stronger immune response against the pathogen.  Adjuvanted vaccines typically have somewhat higher rates of injection site pain as compared to non-adjuvanted vaccines, though such pain often  resolves within a few days.  Other adjuvanted vaccines include Fluad (one of the three influenza vaccine formulations designed for seniors), Shingrix (zoster/shingles), and most tetanus vaccines.

Receiving an RSV Vaccine:

     RSV vaccines are administered by appointment only – please call ahead to schedule a time for administration AND determine insurance coverage.

     A prescription from your primary-care provider is not required. 

     All RSV vaccines are currently single-dose courses and there are no guidelines allowing for multiple or annual dosing.  If you have already received an RSV vaccine, you are up to date.

     While Medicare will cover RSV vaccines for all beneficiaries, coverage by non-Medicare insurance plans is not guaranteed.  Please plan accordingly.

ORAL ANTIVIRALS for COVID-19

The Federally-managed COVID-19 antiviral distribution program ended on 15 December 2023, and providers are no longer able to acquire these antivirals directly from the US Government’s stockpile.

Now that these antivirals are available on the commercial pharmaceutical market, Paxlovid and Lagevrio are approximately $1,500 and $1,000 per course, respectively; of that, insurance companies are recently reimbursing less than 50% of the cost of the drug.

As such, we are no longer stocking, ordering, or dispensing any oral COVID-19 antiviral medications.