There are now antiviral medications on the market that have been shown to significantly reduce your chances of hospitalization after catching COVID-19, but getting a prescription for those pills in Springfield may take a long time.

Doctors nationwide received approval from the FDA late last year to start prescribing two antiviral medications: one from Pfizer (Paxlovid), and the other from Merck (Molnupiravir).

According to Sangamon County Health Board President Dr. Brian Miller, Paxlovid is 90% effective at reducing COVID-19 hospitalizations, while Molnupiravir is about 30% effective.

Miller says all the doses in the county's first Paxlovid shipment last week have been prescribed, but Molnupiravir is easier to find.

Other doctors in Springfield say the demand for Paxlovid is far outpacing the currently available supply.

“It came to our area and to one pharmacy there were 20 patient doses that were given," Springfield Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Donald Graham said. "That supply was used very quickly and has not been replenished.”

Dr. Graham says that distribution is slow because the pills are so new.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is coordinating deliveries to hospitals and pharmacies across the state. In an email, a spokesperson for IDPH said: "allocations of Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are made by the federal government and states had not received another allocation at this time."

The antiviral pills are not a replacement for vaccination, which is still the most recommended strategy for fighting COVID-19.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms and are over 65 or have underlying conditions, you may be eligible for the medications. Both Miller and Graham say the best person to discuss the treatments with is your doctor.