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Walgreens began administering Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, which became the first such vaccine last week to receive emergency use approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Walgreens pharmacists have started administering the vaccine at nursing homes and assisted living centers in Ohio and Connecticut, the company said in a statement provided to FOX Business.
Starting next week, the company will provide vaccines to some 800 long-term care facilities in 12 states, “including many in medically underserved rural and urban areas,” Walgreens said.
“The company will continue to expand vaccinations to nearly 3 million residents and staff in 35,000 long-term care facilities who have selected Walgreens as their vaccine supplier as states finalize their distribution plans and receive cash allocations. vaccines, ”the company said.
“Walgreens is very proud to be a part of this historic step to begin delivering Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to our most vulnerable populations,” Walgreens President John Standley said in a statement. “With over a decade of experience administering various vaccines, we have the deep expertise to support this unprecedented effort to enable our nation to emerge from this pandemic. “
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Along with Walgreens, CVS has also partnered with facilities nationwide to supply the Pfizer vaccine.
As of Nov. 18, more than 25,000 long-term care sites have partnered with CVS to provide vaccinations at their facilities, according to the CVS website.
The retail pharmacy chain said the number of clinics will be determined by the number of long-term care facilities that choose CVS Health as their vaccine partner through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ).
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense partnered with Walgreens and CVS to deliver and administer COVID-19 vaccines to residents and staff of long-term care facilities across the country.
The two companies also reached an agreement with federal health officials to distribute free vaccines to the general public once they become available. The goal is to make the COVID-19 vaccine similar to the flu vaccine.
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Chains like Rite Aid, supermarket pharmacies like Albertsons and Publix, and big box stores like Costco and Walmart have also agreed to distribute vaccines once they become available to the general public beyond priority groups.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said these partnerships were “a critical step in ensuring that all Americans have access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines when available.”
Daniella Genovese of FOX Business and Associated Press contributed to this report.
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