Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies to start COVID-19 vaccines on Friday

Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies across the country will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines on Friday as part of the federal retail pharmacy program.

More than 1,000 pharmacies in 22 states will receive doses of the vaccine this week, although there is a special focus “on places that reach customers in underserved communities with limited access to health care,” said Walmart Wednesday.

The Arkansas-based retailer took population density, customer demographics, infection rates and the availability of local health care resources into account when identifying participating sites.

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The company previously announced that it would be able to deliver up to 13 million doses of coronavirus vaccine per month “when supply and allocations permit.”

Last November, federal health officials struck a deal with pharmacies across the United States, including big box stores like Costco and Walmart, to hand out free vaccines once they become widely available in the United States. public.

Location of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, California on September 19, 2013 (Patrick T. Fallon / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The deal, which follows a collaboration with CVS and Walgreens to deliver vaccines to nursing homes, is part of an ongoing effort to get the COVID-19 vaccine to get the flu shot.

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“Ninety percent of the country lives within 10 miles of a Walmart,” said Dr. Cheryl Pegus, Walmart’s executive vice president for health and wellness. “We are at the heart of many rural and underserved communities, and we are committed to providing access to vaccines when groups become eligible. “

The retailer said it was working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the nearly two dozen states “to act as quickly as possible to help deliver the vaccines to eligible populations.”

WALMART plans to deliver up to 13 million doses per month

While the company is working to increase the accessibility and availability of vaccines alongside federal and state governments, supply and eligibility “will always vary based on allocation as well as state and local guidelines,” said Walmart said.

Healthcare workers and residents of nursing homes were the first to receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Next are essential workers such as grocery store clerks and others who perform vital tasks that cannot be performed at home.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.