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The effort to immunize more Americans against coronavirus now includes large retail drugstore chains.
National pharmacy chains CVS Health and Walgreens are among more than 20 major retailers sourcing COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government this week. But getting vaccinated is not as easy as walking through the door of the pharmacy. Indeed, consumers are discouraged from rushing to stores, but rather queuing up by making an appointment online or by phone.
The federal program will be implemented in stages, depending on available vaccine stocks, shipments will arrive as early as Thursday, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The federal government is providing 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for the start of the program,” a CDC spokesperson said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch. “We are not able to confirm how many doses will be delivered to pharmacy partners each week over the next several weeks, but weekly allocations are expected to increase eventually as vaccine supply increases.
In total, the federal government is partnering with 21 national drugstore chains and independent networks to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines across the United States, according to the agency. Participating pharmacies vary state to state, with the CDC offering state-by-state accounting of retailers who will receive doses of the vaccine this week.
In Alabama, for example, Walmart pharmacies will receive federal vaccine shipments, while in California, CVS and Rite Aid are expected to receive doses. Shipments of the vaccine are intended for Hy-Vee and CPESN USA locations in Iowa, as well as Albertsons, Costco and Health Mart pharmacies in Washington State. Find your state here.
Walgreens and CVS Health
Walgreens plans to give a limited number of COVID-19 vaccinations in 15 states and jurisdictions as part of the federal program starting Friday, with healthcare workers, people 65 and older, and people with illnesses pre-existing among potential applicants, according to state guidelines. Consumers can use Walgreens’ appointment planner, even though the system reportedly went down temporarily on Tuesday.
The CDC will ship a limited number of doses to Walgreens in Chicago and other areas in Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York and New York, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The company also administers the vaccine with local allocations in parts of Arkansas, California, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas , did he declare.
Originally slated to begin Thursday, CVS has postponed the start of its pharmacy vaccination effort until Friday at a limited number of sites in 11 states, with the company’s scheduling system scheduled to open on CVS.com or the CVS Pharmacy app on Thursday. . Those without online access can call (800) 746-4287.
“Because active stores will change regularly based on vaccine supply, CVS Health will not provide a full list of participating sites,” he said in an update Monday.
Initial CVS rollout will involve approximately 250,000 total doses to be administered to eligible individuals in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Additionally, CVS uses state vaccine allocations to deliver in-store vaccines to eligible populations in Indiana and Ohio.
“As supplies become available, the company will expand to other states while increasing the number of stores offering vaccines,” said the chain, which operates nearly 10,000 pharmacies across the country. country.
Walmart, Sam’s Club and Rite Aid
More than 1,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies in 22 states are receiving federal vaccine allocations this week, with vaccines scheduled to be administered starting Friday. This includes Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
The retail giant is also giving vaccinations using the state allowance in 11 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. (You can see if a Walmart pharmacy near you administers the COVID-19 vaccine here and confirm eligibility and schedule an appointment here.)
“Ninety percent of the country lives within 10 miles of a Walmart. We are at the heart of many rural and underserved communities, and we are committed to providing access to vaccines as groups become eligible. “Dr. Cheryl Pegus, Walmart’s vice director president, Health and Wellness, said in a press release Tuesday.
Rite Aid receives federal doses at some of its pharmacies in five states and two municipal jurisdictions: California, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and its largest city, Philadelphia and New York, a spokesperson said in an email. at CBS MoneyWatch. “These allocations will complement existing and ongoing state and local allocations,” he added.
The Rite Aid chain, which operates 2,450 stores in 18 states, has limited information on registering for a vaccination here.
Publix, Costco and Kroger
Publix announced Tuesday that it is opening appointments Wednesday to administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to eligible people at 593 Publix pharmacies in 41 counties in Florida, using doses provided by the state and federal government. Publix pharmacies have also administered the vaccine to people in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia. The company’s online reservation system can be found here.
Costco offers a limited number of COVID-19 vaccines, typically Moderna, in parts of New York, Oregon, Puerto Rico and Washington, the Warehouse Club announced on Friday in an update on its site. Web.
Kroger Pharmacies have a limited supply of the vaccine and now offer it in some locations in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Washington , West Virginia and Wisconsin, according to a Monday night update. Consumers can check appointment availability here.
Kroger – the country’s largest grocery chain – said in December that its health unit will offer the vaccine at its 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states.
Albertsons, Hy-Vee and Meijer
Albertsons Companies, which operates more than 1,700 drugstores in its grocery stores in 34 states, also receives direct federal vaccine allowances. Consumers can check availability at the food and pharmaceutical retailer’s many individual banners: ACME, Albertsons, Carrs, Haggen, Jewel-Osco, Pavilion, Randalls, Safeway, Shaw’s, Star Market, Tom Thumb, United Supermarkets and Vons.
At the Albertsons-owned Lucky Pharmacy in Salt Lake City, Utah, the COVID-19 vaccine is touted as “coming soon.”
Hy-Vee operates 275 stores in eight Midwestern states and offers federal doses of the vaccine at some of its in-store pharmacies in Iowa and South Dakota. Appointments can be made here.
Meijer plans to administer up to 25,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine starting the week of February 8 at clinics in its Michigan stores. State residents 65 and over can pre-register on the company’s website. The retailer operates 256 supercenters and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan.
HEB, Ahold Delhaize and Southeastern Grocers
HEB, which operates more than 400 stores in Texas and Mexico, offers the vaccine at some drugstores in Texas. Check the availability of new appointments here.
The Ahold Delhaize companies also offer the vaccine. This includes Stop & Shop, which operates 250 pharmacies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. Hannaford now makes appointments in two of the five states in which it operates, New York and Massachusetts, and its Giant Food brand offers scheduling links to clients in Washington, DC, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Go to https://giantfood.com/pages/covid-info for more details.
Southeastern Grocers will be offering 8,100 free Moderna COVID-19 vaccines starting February 11 to eligible customers at select Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más and Harveys supermarkets across Florida.
Acme Fresh Market, Big Y and Wegmans
Some of Topco Associates’ multiple brands also receive federal vaccine shipments. Acme Fresh Market offers vaccination appointments at its Ohio drugstores, though as of Thursday afternoon they were full. Check for updates here.
Big Y offers the vaccine at pharmacies in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Wegmans offers injections at select pharmacies in Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Giant Eagle, Food City and Price Chopper
Topco-branded Giant Eagle is online to offer the vaccine to pharmacies in Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, while Brookshire Grocery has launched a wait list in line in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Food City is prepared to offer the vaccine, but currently only has it in pharmacies in Virginia. Price Chopper / Market 32 offers the vaccine at select pharmacies in Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania – click here to see if you are eligible.
Health Mart – a chain of 5,000 independent pharmacies across the United States – is also online for federal vaccine shipments. Pennsylvania’s Beaver Health Mart has suspended its online registration, saying it will resume requests once its supply is replenished. Missouri residents can try registering on the Parkland Health Mart Pharmacy website here.
Health Mart, CPESN USA and Good Neighbor
Wayne Drug, a Health Mart drugstore in Oswego, New York, has taken to social media to keep customers informed.
The Community Pharmacy Enhanced Service Network, or CPESN USA, participates in the federal program and offers vaccines at sites in Florida and Iowa.
AmerisourceBergen said last week it was placing orders with the CDC on behalf of Good Neighbor Pharmacy and Elevate Provider Network – a cooperative of 4,500 independent pharmacies – in Kentucky, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Guam.
In San Joaquin County, California, the Lucky Pharmacy of the Save Mart Company offers appointments here.
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