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Walmart is preparing to expand its coronavirus vaccination operation to seven other states beyond the two where it currently offers vaccinations, a company spokesperson confirmed to The Hill on Friday.
Walmart will begin supplying vaccines to Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas, as well as Chicago and Puerto Rico, this week and next year, according to the spokesperson.
The vaccines will be made available to specific populations as decided by each state and only in a handful of stores in those states, according to Reuters, which first reported on the expansion.
The retail giant is already vaccinating healthcare workers in Arkansas, where it is headquartered, as well as in New Mexico.
Walmart also confirmed to Reuters its partnership with Alabama to provide vaccines against COVID-19.
Scott Harris, the Alabama state health official, announced the deal Thursday, according to Al.com, but did not specify a timeline for when it would start. He also said that another deal with a “big drugstore chain” was in the works.
The expansion comes as the United States rushes to vaccinate as many people as possible amid a slow vaccination campaign.
To date, more than 37.9 million vaccines have been distributed, according to The data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of which about 17.5 million have been administered.
President Biden has set a goal of administering 100 million coronavirus vaccines in the first 100 days of his presidency and on Thursday unveiled a COVID-19 Strategy which includes steps to achieve this goal.
The president has called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to start establishing community vaccination centers, and the CDC is expanding access to vaccines through local pharmacies.
“Walmart is ready to serve our country, our customers and our associates,” the company said in a blog post Friday. “We appreciate the conversations we have had with both administrations and the ongoing conversations we have with the new Biden administration.”
“We look forward to the day when we can activate our forces to serve our communities and administer the vaccine.”
Updated at 10:09 am
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