Tennessee has received its first shipments of two newly authorized antiviral pills to treat COVID-19.
The Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization for molnupirvar by Merck and Paxlovid by Pfizer.
The state received 5,000 courses of the drug from Merck, which is slightly less effective according to early clinical data, and 1,000 courses for the Pfizer pills. They’ll be available for free through some Walmart pharmacies across the state (listed here).
Supplies are very limited at the moment, but millions of courses should become available in 2022. The federal government has a $5.3-billion contract to buy the antivirals.
The pills are recommended for people with risk factors that could lead to severe COVID symptoms. While the treatment could help prevent hospitalization or death, state health officials say prevention is far more effective. They encourage anyone over five years old who remains unvaccinated to take their shots and get a booster if they’re eligible.
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