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Open spaces, no pharmacies: rural US confronts vaccine void

  • Debbie Monahan, a school nurse, pulls down Charles Robbins' sleeve after giving him his second shot of the coronavirus vaccine at Surry County High School in Dendron, Va., on Saturday Feb. 27, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Ben Finley)
    1/6

    Virus Outbreak Rural Pharmacies

    Debbie Monahan, a school nurse, pulls down Charles Robbins' sleeve after giving him his second shot of the coronavirus vaccine at Surry County High School in Dendron, Va., on Saturday Feb. 27, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Ben Finley)
    ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Co-owner of Creative Works Gallery and Cafe, Sarah Mayo, gestures during an interview in Surry, Va., Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Mayo opened the cafe and gallery in an old pharmacy which closed. Mayo kept the pharmacy signs to remind people of what was there. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
    2/6

    Virus Outbreak Rural Pharmacies

    Co-owner of Creative Works Gallery and Cafe, Sarah Mayo, gestures during an interview in Surry, Va., Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Mayo opened the cafe and gallery in an old pharmacy which closed. Mayo kept the pharmacy signs to remind people of what was there. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
    ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • A sign informing customers that the pharmacy is closed sits in an empty store in Wakefield, Va., Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
    3/6

    Virus Outbreak Rural Pharmacies

    A sign informing customers that the pharmacy is closed sits in an empty store in Wakefield, Va., Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
    ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Charles Robbins celebrates getting his second shot of coronavirus vaccine at Surry County High School in Dendron, Va., on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Ben Finley)
    4/6

    Virus Outbreak Rural Pharmacies

    Charles Robbins celebrates getting his second shot of coronavirus vaccine at Surry County High School in Dendron, Va., on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Ben Finley)
    ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Charles Robbins celebrates with his daughter Charlome Pierce, right, after getting his second shot of coronavirus vaccine at Surry County High School in Dendron, Va., on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. Pierce and her father were relieved to get their second shots in late February. (AP Photo/Ben Finley)
    5/6

    Virus Outbreak Rural Pharmacies

    Charles Robbins celebrates with his daughter Charlome Pierce, right, after getting his second shot of coronavirus vaccine at Surry County High School in Dendron, Va., on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. Pierce and her father were relieved to get their second shots in late February. (AP Photo/Ben Finley)
    ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Retired pharmacist, Russell Alan Garner, stands behind the counter in his empty store in Wakefield, Va., Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
    6/6

    Virus Outbreak Rural Pharmacies

    Retired pharmacist, Russell Alan Garner, stands behind the counter in his empty store in Wakefield, Va., Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
    ASSOCIATED PRESS
Debbie Monahan, a school nurse, pulls down Charles Robbins' sleeve after giving him his second shot of the coronavirus vaccine at Surry County High School in Dendron, Va., on Saturday Feb. 27, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Ben Finley)
Co-owner of Creative Works Gallery and Cafe, Sarah Mayo, gestures during an interview in Surry, Va., Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Mayo opened the cafe and gallery in an old pharmacy which closed. Mayo kept the pharmacy signs to remind people of what was there. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
A sign informing customers that the pharmacy is closed sits in an empty store in Wakefield, Va., Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Charles Robbins celebrates getting his second shot of coronavirus vaccine at Surry County High School in Dendron, Va., on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Ben Finley)
Charles Robbins celebrates with his daughter Charlome Pierce, right, after getting his second shot of coronavirus vaccine at Surry County High School in Dendron, Va., on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. Pierce and her father were relieved to get their second shots in late February. (AP Photo/Ben Finley)
Retired pharmacist, Russell Alan Garner, stands behind the counter in his empty store in Wakefield, Va., Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Getting the coronavirus vaccine has been a challenge for rural counties in the U.S. that lack medical facilities such as a pharmacy or a well-equipped doctor's office. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
BEN FINLEY

But there are gaps in the map: More than 400 rural counties with a combined population of nearly 2.5 million people lack a retail pharmacy that's included in the partnership. More than 100 of those counties either have no pharmacy or have a pharmacy that historically did not offer services such as flu shots, and possibly lacks the equipment or certified staff to vaccinate customers. Independent pharmacies that have traditionally served rural areas have been disappearing, casualties of mail-order prescriptions and more competition from chains like Walgreen's and CVS with greater power to negotiate with insurance companies, according to Keith Mueller, director of the University of Iowa's RUPRI...