CVS, Walgreens pharmacies to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines

CVS Health and Walgreens are gearing up to administer COVID-19 vaccinations in their pharmacies to eligible populations.

CVS: Starting Thursday, Feb. 11, CVS will begin to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to eligible populations at a limited number of CVS Pharmacy locations across 11 states, including California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.  Supply for the initial rollout, which is sourced directly from the federal government through the pharmacy partnership program, will be approximately 250,000 total doses. As supply becomes available, CVS will expand the initiative to additional states and also increase the number of stores offering vaccinations.

The company noted that the vaccines will be offered on an appointment-only basis via CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app. (It also has provided a telephone number for those without online access.) Appointments will become available for booking as early as Feb. 9 as stores receive shipment.

There are nearly 10,000 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide, with almost half located in communities ranked high or very high in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index. More than 90,000 health care professionals including pharmacists, licensed pharmacy technicians, and nurses will participate in the vaccination effort, giving CVS Pharmacy the capacity to administer 20 to 25 million shots per month.

CVS Health is also working directly with Indiana (utilizing two CVS Pharmacy locations) and Ohio (19) to provide in-store vaccinations to eligible populations using state allocations. Other states may choose the same option, which is separate from the federal pharmacy partnership program but can run concurrently.

WALGREENS: Walgreens announced it has been selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide a limited number of COVID-19 vaccinations across 15 states and jurisdictions as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. Vaccinations will begin in stores Feb. 12 to eligible individuals based on state and jurisdiction guidelines, and may include healthcare workers, people ages 65 and older, and individuals with pre-existing conditions.

The CDC selected Walgreens as a pharmacy partner in specific states and jurisdictions to optimize vaccine access in medically underserved areas and areas with a high social vulnerability index score. A defined number of vaccine doses will be allocated from the CDC directly to Walgreens in each geography. The states and local jurisdictions include: Chicago, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, New York City, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia. 

In addition to supporting distribution of federal vaccine allocation, Walgreens continues to assist several states and jurisdictions with administration of COVID-19 vaccines in select stores to eligible populations. Walgreens has administered over 300,000 vaccinations through these efforts to date, as determined by state and jurisdiction guidelines. Areas include: Arkansas, California (select counties), Connecticut, Chicago, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa (select counties), Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, New York City, Ohio, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Texas.