this is "nightline." >> tonight, pharmacy deserts. when where you live could determine your chance of getting a covid-19 vaccine. >> that's 500 miles just to get the vaccines. >> why some communities of color will have a harder time accessing the shot. we're with distribution doctors on a mission to change the landscape. >> we're going to do something bold here. this is a game changer. >> inside the extreme lengths one clinic goes to, to help their own. plus racing to reopen america. how long might vaccine immunity last? and the surprise reunion 15 months in the making. what made this all possible? nicorette® knows, quitting smoking is hard.

you get advice like: try hypnosis... or... quit cold turkey are you kidding me?! instead, start small. with nicorette®. which can lead to something big. start stopping with nicorette® so you're my fairy godmayo? yes, i wield the power of best foods to magically transform any food into creamy, dreamy works of art. boop. with a butter knife? this is a mayo knife. ♪ visible is wireless that doesn't play games.

it's powered by verizon for as little as $25 a month. but it gets crazier. bring a friend every month and get every month for $5. boom! 12 months of $5 wireless. visible, wireless that gets better with friends. ♪ ♪ good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight, ramping up covid-19 vaccinations across america. when it comes to reaching communities, how might your zip code decide your fate? here's abc's deborah roberts with this investigation.

>> i was hoping to get a shot here. rural areas in texas, they don't get a lot of vaccines. >> reporter: 54-year-old jorge figueroa knew finding a covid-19 vaccine was going to be a challenge. >> looking around, i almost went to midland or odessa to get a shot. four-hour drive, over 200 miles. i have a little girl. so we cannot go and spend days there. so you need to go and come back the same day. >> jorge lives in one of the worst so-called pharmacy deserts in the country. an area defined by extremely limited access to pharmacies. with the federal government now calling on pharmacies to help with the covid-19 vaccine rollout, an abc news investigation found that millions of americans like jorge face tough odds finding a shot

because of where they live. >> that's 500 miles just to get the vaccines. >> reporter: forcing some to go to extreme lengths to get a vaccine. >> about to drive 90 miles one way. i have some covid vaccine that we're shuttling down. >> reporter: pharmacy deserts hit communities of color the hardest, like in presidio, texas, a remote, mostly latino town nestled in the rio grande along the u.s./mexico border where jorge lives. when you heard they were starting to roll out some of the took roll out some of the vaccines at pharmacies, what did you think? >> i said, that's for people who live in big cities. for us, we're so far from everyw >> reporter: the nearest pharmacy, 60 miles away in marfa. the closest one planning to offer the vaccine, even farther, a 90-minute drive to alpine, which is also home to the nearest hospital. >> an emergency? it's hard to drive 90 miles and get to the emergency room.

>> reporter: jorge, an uninsured father of four who lost his construction job during the pandemic, is worried about getting covid because he suffers from high blood pressure. how eager have you been to get the vaccine? >> i have family in mexico, and i lost a few family members. some of my friends from school in mexico, they died. all dead. i'm the same age. i would say, okay, where's the vaccine? when's it going to start? so referring to this, it's showing me 3 hours 38 minutes right now, at this time. >> so eight to ten hours for the whole trip, back and forth? >> yes. >> you were willing to drive that far just to get the vaccine? >> yes. >> reporter: if jorge lived in one of his neighboring majority white counties, his opportunities may have been different. data shows they have more pharmacies at their disposal per capita, despite presidio county having nearly twice the number of covid-19 deaths than both majority white counties

combined. >> this is the main drag of presidio. >> reporter: dr. billings is one of the few doctors serving presidio. >> there are no corporate pharmacies out here. and when i heard that cvs and walgreens were going to be getting vaccination, the reality set in quickly. it shouldn't be that because there are not these organizations out here, that our community suffers as a result of that. >> reporter: medical resources here so slim that dr. billings says it's common for presidio residents to cross the border into mexico for health care. >> i feel that's unjust. i feel that our residents here in presidio, they deserve more. >> reporter: nearly all of presidio's health care needs fall upon this lonely place. a federally supported health center called presidio county medical clinic where dr. billings has a weekly shift. >> we're doing the best we can,

and this pandemic has certainly put a strain on an already underresourced, rural, small health care system. >> good morning. are you a patient already? >> reporter: linda molinar runs the clinic where her small staff serves thousands of patients. >> working at the presidio clinic, it is very overwhelming. >> reporter: things got worse when the city's only pharmacy shut down several years ago. >> i knew what that meant for our community. it meant people dying. because it doesn't matter if i have doctors. there is no pharmacy for them to pick up a medication. >> reporter: so she took matters into her own hands. >> we talked to the pharmacies in alpine, and they're able to put the medication in a bus and then transport that medication to presidio. >> reporter: about twice a week, those vital medications must

travel 90 miles on a greyhound bus through the open desert. >> so when a patient comes to our clinic and is needing a medication, they'll have to wait a couple of days. >> reporter: in the absence of pharmacies, linda's clinic is also the only covid-19 vaccine provider in town. >> we're not receiving a steady amount of doses from the state. >> reporter: so linda's gotten many of her vaccines from distant hospitals. >> yesterday i got the call from lynn memorial hospital that they have 600 vaccines that can be used at our clinic in presidio. >> reporter: she or her staff has to go pick them up. >> it's a 250-mile drive from presidio to midland, to come back another 250, 500 miles, eight to ten hours. when somebody tells me they have vaccines, i don't think twice, i get in my car and we pick them up. because i worry, what about if somebody else takes them? >> we have it set aside for you. that's 100 vials, 600 doses.

>> so here's our vaccines. we're so excited. i know our community's excited about them. >> reporter: 500 miles and a day later -- >> we have arrived to presidio with the vaccines for today. >> reporter: the real work can finally begin. >> good morning, everybody. >> reporter: linda and her team are setting about vaccinating as many people as they can. >> so the vaccine you're receiving today is the pfizer vaccine. take off your jacket so i can see your arm. there goes the quick stick. one, two, three, stick, and we're done. quick poke. one, two, three. and we are done. >> thank you very much. >> how many vaccines do we still have? >> how's everybody doing? >> we're excited. >> reporter: it isn't long before linda and her staff are faced with difficult decisions. >> come in, let me help you. no, that's okay. he's here because he needs results of his lab for another individual that needs surgery

friday. i'm going to see if i can find staff that's not doing something to fax them for me. >> we do not have the workforce to maintain our medical clinic and our dental clinic at the same time that we're doing covid vaccination. that is not without consequence to our patients. >> those are important things and they need to be taken care of. normally we have a staff that does that, but today we can't. >> right now, while i'm closed because i'm doing covid vaccines, who's taking care of sick people? nobody is. what is more important? do i do vaccines? do i see these people that are needing their insulin? i have people right now that's supposed to give allergy shots every other day, and we're the only clinic that does this. where are they supposed to go? >> reporter: deciding between providing vital care or offering the vaccine isn't the only dilemma for linda on days like these. her limited supply means she must also choose who amongst her community gets a shot in the first place.

>> i am the ceo of a clinic, but who am i to tell people i don't have vaccines? and they qualify. they have cancer, they're diabetic. why? because there's no system where we can get vaccines every week, every month. we don't know. >> reporter: nationally, pharmacy deserts hit rural areas the hardest. but they aren't the only vulnerable communities. on the south side of chicago in the auburn gresham neighborhood, 81-year-old juanita love and friend 78-year-old betty swanson are excited to get their covid vaccines. they used to walk to this cvs three blocks away but it shut down last year, the company citing low financial performance. >> we have nowhere close to go. the ones that don't have cars or be able to go, they're left

really in a desert, they can't get the goods if they need. >> reporter: in chicago, nearly 1 million people live in a pharmacy desert. most of these in black and brown communities. so many people just take for granted, there's a pharmacy every other block in their communities. do you think people have any idea how difficult it is? >> no one knows how it is but the ones that it hit. and it hits with us. >> reporter: here the problem isn't so much distance, but density. in juanita and betty's neighborhood, for example, there's one pharmacy for every 13,000 residents. compare that to wicker park, a mostly white community which has a pharmacy for every 4,000 residents. so to get their covid shots -- >> are you excited about it? >> i'm excited. to get it over. yes. >> reporter: the two ladies drove to a walgreens on the edge of their neighborhood. >> are you worried some of the other seniors in your neighborhood might not be able to get the vaccine because they can't get to the pharmacy?

>> i am. we've got a veterans group. some of them in wheelchairs, some of them on crutches. they could walk to cvs at one time. now they would have to get on a bus or get a cab or whatever. there's no easy way. >> when we think about structural inequity, pharmacies follow the rest of the patterns that we see across chicago. >> reporter: to address chicago's pharmacy deserts, the mayor's office teamed up with local health care providers. >> we are already hitting this -- >> reporter: like dr. ali khan and his team of oak street health to bring vaccine directly into some of these communities. >> the city was able to pick the top 15 communities and said, we're going to do something bold here, we're going to guarantee doses to an entire community, up to a percentage of that community. >> reporter: each weekend dr. khan and his teamwork out of this high school in the predominantly latino community on chicago's northwest side. >> spread the word. tell all your friends. we want everyone vaccinated.

>> one of the biggest things that we've heard has been, you put this three blocks from me, this is a game changer. >> having an event like this gives them access in a way that they wouldn't otherwise have. >> done! congratulations. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. >> reporter: back in texas -- >> i was lucky to get the shot. i feel lucky. i feel really lucky. >> reporter: after weeks of searching, to jorge's surprise, it was linda's clinic that was able to vaccinate him. >> how did it feel that you got the vaccine? >> i feel like -- a relief, but it gives you more peace of mind, i guess. >> reporter: jorge can now rest easy, but linda worries that as the vaccine rollout expands, there's no way her little clinic will be able to keep up. >> somebody needs to come and help presidio and vaccinate presidio. otherwise, it is going to overwhelm the system here. they need to send either state or national guard down here. they can do 1,000 a day. but for us, to get 100 vaccines

if we're lucky, it's too much. >> our thanks to deborah. for more on our investigation, please go to abcnews.com. where you can find an interactive map on pharmacy deserts across the country. coming up, how long do covid vaccines protect you? ♪ ♪ now here we go ♪ ♪ i can't help it if i'm poppin' see them watch like ♪ ♪ who that girl ♪ ♪ it's outrageous how this flavour got em shook like ♪ ♪ hold up ♪ ♪ work work work it out ♪ ♪ ah ha ♪ ♪ i hit it back with a brand new style ♪ ♪ like woah ♪ ♪ bring it up into the fold get wild ♪ ♪ we turning up all the way on the dial ♪ ♪ like woah ♪ ♪ baby i'm fabulous so come on ♪ limitless possibilities. the boldly new 2021 nissan kicks. ♪ struggling to manage my type 2 diabetes the boldly new 2021 nissan kicks. was knocking me out of my zone, but lowering my a1c with once-weekly ozempic® helped me get back in it.

♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic® ♪ my zone? lowering my a1c and losing some weight. now, back to the show. ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. and you may lose weight. adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems cec helpemegein mtype diabete

asyo health care provideritanu5 for a 3-month prescription. dry, distressed skin that struggles? new aveeno® restorative skin therapy. with our highest concentration of prebiotic oat intensely moisturizes over time to improve skin's resilience. aveeno® healthy. it's our nature™. we made usaa insurance for members like martin. an air force veteran made of doing what's right, not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right.

usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. ♪ usaa ♪ we're made for. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ receive a chargepoint home flex charger or a $500 pulic charging credit. see your volvo retailer for details. when you've got a business, you don't want to worry about slow internet or confusing cybersecurity. so get comcast business internet on the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses, and add the advanced security of comcast business securityedge. it's the speed you need with threat protection, plus 24/7 support. get fast internet and advanced security—made simple. and bounce forward— with comcast business. get started with a great offer, and ask how you can add comcast business securityedge.

plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a $500 prepaid card when you upgrade. call today. ♪ for those who may have gotten a covid-19 vaccine, what does that mean in the step toward normalcy? to break down the latest earlier

i spoke with abc news contributor dr. john brownstein. dr. brownstein, thank you so much for joining us. first question. 1 in 4 american adults have received their first vaccine. what's the latest on how long these vaccines last and are we going to have to get another covid-19 vaccine like our annual flu shot? >> i think that's a huge question right now, how long will immunity last when you get the vaccine? of course, we're only a few months into getting this vaccine, so the data is limited. but the thought is that while antibodies might wane over time, we have strong t-cell protection that could last us well into a year. we still don't know the data so cdc is trying to be as cautious as possible in giving out recommendations. as these viruses mutate and become variants, there is a thought that potentially a booster applied every one to two years should be something we should be looking at in the future. >> there have been concerns about the three major new covid-19 variants in several countries across the world, including 51% of these new cases in new york city.

how effective are the vaccines at protecting us against these variants? >> we've been watching these variants now for several months. we've always known they were going to take hold in the population. the great news is, across the studies we've seen, both in the real world and in the laboratory, the vaccines do really well against these variants. so for the time being, we think actually the vaccines are fairly equivalent when it comes to the regular strain and these new variants. but it also tells us that we have to do more to get these vaccines out to populations to stop these variants from taking hold, because we know that they're more transmissible, from there could lead to more hospitalizations and deaths. >> all of us want to get this pandemic behind us but six states have announced they're loosening restrictions like mask mandates and indoor capacity limits. is this happening too fast, too soon? >> yeah, this is very concerning. it's a complex time where we have variants and vaccines going on at the same time.

the data is showing we're plateauing in many parts of the country. and so we're really not out of the woods. in fact, the number of cases we're seeing are still much greater than what we had in the summer. so taking our foot off the gas right now doesn't make sense are we should be looking at this more like a dimmer switch, where we're starting to gradually relax our requirements, getting back to normal. going full-out right now could spell a real problem as we have these variants circulating in the population. >> and how much are vaccinated people able to ease up on restrictions, to get back to quote-unquote a normal life? >> we have to remember these vaccines are incredible. they protect against severe illness and death. and the cdc is starting to create recommendations to bring those who are vaccinated back to their normal lives. they can congregate indoors with those who are vaccinated and actually start to see loved ones who are unvaccinated as long as they're not in a high-risk category. they're also not going to have some of the same concerns about quarantine if exposed. as we get more vaccines into

people, these requirements are going to start to relax even further. the more we see that vaccine uptake in the community, the better it's going to be for all of us. >> a final quick question. for all those who are eligible for vaccines right now, what do you say to people who may have to wait as the schedule goes weeks if not months? >> we're all sort of enthusiastic about getting this vaccine. clearly we want to get as many vaccines into arms as possible. we're seeing 3 million a day right now. so the pace is really picking up. i expect we're going to see open season on vaccines probably in april so that by the end of may, anybody who wants a vaccine and is eligible should be able to get it. >> optimism. we could certainly use that. dr. brownstein, thank you for your time. >> thank you so much. up next, what made this reunion possible? honestly, i thought i was getting my floors cleaned. then i learned, my mop could be loaded with bacteria.

that means i gotta clean my mop too? ugh. so i got a swiffer wetjet to get a cleaner, clean! i stick on a fresh pad. boom! it's ready to go. the spray breaks down dirt. and the pad absorbs it deep inside. unlike my mop that can spread it around. and wetjet's even safe on wood! all this? buh-bye. it's so simple! i get a cleaner clean every day. try wejet with a money back guarantee. washed your hands a lot today? probably like 40 times. hands feel dry? like sandpaper. introducing new dove handwash, with 5 x moisturizer blend. removes germs in seconds, moisturizes for hours. soft, smooth. new dove handwash. find your rhythm. your happy place. soft, smooth. find your breaking point. then break it. every emergen-c gives you a potent blend of nutrients so you can emerge your best with emergen-c. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ (quiet piano music) ♪ ♪ comfort in the extreme. the lincoln family of luxury suvs.

♪ finally tonight, at long last. this reunion has been 15 months in the making. 3-year-old trak shevala, fort

city, pennsylvania, hugging grandma jean. like so many american families kept apart by covid-19 until a second and final vaccine for nana. close at heart. that's "nightline" for this evening. catch our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here, same time tomorrow. thanks for the company, america. good night.