The rugged launch in the US of coronavirus Vaccines receive a million doses in the arm while pharmacies across the country join the effort.
The federal government has begun shipping COVID-19 vaccine supplies to 21 national pharmacy chains and to independent pharmacies to speed up distribution. The program will be implemented in stages, based on the supplies available for the vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pharmacies and retailers are also partnering with states to help speed up the vaccination effort.
The national pharmacy chains CVS Health and Walgreens are some of those obtaining COVID-19 vaccine supplies from the federal government. But getting shot isn’t as easy as going through the pharmacy door. Instead, consumers are discouraged from coming to stores, but are put online by making an appointment online or over the phone.
“The federal government is providing 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for the program’s launch,” a CDC spokesman said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch. “We can’t confirm how many doses will be provided weekly to pharmacy partners over the next few weeks, but weekly allocations are expected to increase as vaccine supply increases.”
Hillcrest Pharmacy in Vernon, Texas
Accordingly, the federal government is partnering with 21 national pharmacy chains and independent networks to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, according to the agency. Participating pharmacies vary by state, and the CDC offers state-by-state accounting of which retailers will receive vaccine doses this week.
In Alabama, for example, Walmart pharmacies will receive federal shipments of the vaccine, while in California, CVS and Rite Aid are expected to receive doses. Vaccine shipments will be directed to Hy-Vee and CPESN USA locations in Iowa, and to Albertsons, Costco and Health Mart pharmacies in Washington state. Check your status here.
At Hillcrest Pharmacy in Vernon, Texas, the first modern Modern vaccine shipment arrived Feb. 11 at 3 p.m., and pharmacy staff vaccinated patients at 3:30 p.m., according to AmerisourceBergen, a drug wholesaler and cooperative of 4,500 independently owned pharmacies.
The rural town of 11,000 has a sizable elderly population and the pharmacy has many Medicare patients. Most pharmacy patients cannot travel to large vaccination clinics, an Amerisource spokesman told CBS MoneyWatch. Hilcrest owners Adam and Traci Bayer reported between 500 and 1,000 patients on their waiting list, he added.
Walgreens and CVS Health
Walgreens plans to give a limited count of COVID-19 vaccines in 15 states and jurisdictions as part of the federal program beginning Feb. 12, with health workers over the age of 65 and people with pre-existing conditions among potential candidates, according to the state guidelines. Consumers can use Walgreens’ appointment scheduler, although the system reportedly experienced a temporary outage.
The CDC sends a limited number of doses to Walgreens in Chicago and other parts of Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York and New York, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia. Walgreens also administers the vaccine with local assignments in areas of Arkansas, California, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas.
Initially scheduled to begin Feb. 11, CVS surpassed the day after its vaccination effort at pharmacies the next day in a limited number of locations in 11 states, with the company booking appointments through its system. programming at CVS.com or the CVS Pharmacy app Those who do not have online access can call (800) 746-4287.
“Because active stores will change regularly depending on vaccine supply, CVS Health will not provide a complete list of participating locations,” he said in an update earlier in the week.
The initial release of CVS involves a total of about 250,000 doses to be given to eligible people in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Separately, CVS uses state vaccine allocations to provide in-store vaccines to eligible populations in Indiana and Ohio.
“As more supply becomes available, the company will expand to additional states, while increasing the number of stores offering vaccines,” said the chain, which operates about 10,000 pharmacies across the country.
Walmart, Sam’s Club and Rite Aid
More than 1,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies in 22 states receive federal vaccine allocations, and forecasts will be made starting Feb. 12. 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 vaccines through state allocation in 11 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. (You can see if a Walmart pharmacy near you is administering the COVID-19 vaccine here and confirm your eligibility and schedule an appointment here.)
“Ninety percent of the country lives less than ten miles from a Walmart. We are at the center of many rural and underserved communities, and we are committed to providing access to vaccines as groups become eligible,” the Dr. Cheryl Pegus, executive vice president of Walmart, Health & Wellness, said Tuesday in a press release.
Rite Aid is receiving 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 City, a spokesman said in an email to 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 a vaccine here.
Publix, Costco and Kroger
Publix said it was taking appointments starting Feb. 10 to administer the Modern COVID-19 vaccine to eligible people at 593 Publix pharmacies in 41 Florida counties, using doses provided by the state and federal government. Demand continues to be intense, with local Florida media reporting that vaccine appointments for Feb. 15 were fully booked within an hour of online bookings starting at 7 a.m. President’s Day. holidays.
Publix pharmacies have also administered the vaccine to people in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia. The company’s online booking system can be found here.
Costco offers a limited number of COVID-19 vaccines, typically Modern, at some locations in New York City, Oregon, Puerto Rico and Washington, the warehouse club reported in an update on its website.
Kroger pharmacies have a limited supply of vaccine and now offer it in some places 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 company update. Consumers can check the availability of the appointment here.
Kroger, the country’s largest grocery chain, said in December that its health unit would offer the vaccine to its 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states.
Albertsons, Hy-Vee and Meijer
Albertsons Companies, which operates more than 1,700 pharmacies in its 34-state grocery stores, is also receiving direct federal vaccine allocations. Consumers can check availability on the food retailer’s numerous individual banners: ACME, Albertsons, Carrs, Haggen, Jewel-Osco, Pavilion, Randalls, Safeway, Shaw’s, Star Market, Tom Thumb, United Supermarkets and Vons.
At Lucky Pharmacy, owned by Albertons in Salt Lake City, Utah, the COVID-19 vaccine is billed as “upcoming.”
Hy-Vee operates 275 stores in eight midwestern states and offers federal doses of vaccine at some pharmacies in Iowa and South Dakota. Appointments can be made here.
Meijer plans to administer up to 25,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine starting the week of Feb. 8 at clinics in its stores across Michigan. State residents over the age of 65 can pre-register through the company’s website. The retailer operates 256 supermarkets and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan.
HEB, Ahold Delhaize and Southeastern Grocers
HEB, which manages more than 400 stores in Texas and Mexico, offers the vaccine at some Texas pharmacies. Check here for the availability of new appointments.
Ahold Delhaize companies also offer the vaccine. This includes Stop & Shop, which manages 250 pharmacies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. Hannaford now schedules appointments in two of the five states in which it operates, New York and Massachusetts, and its Giant Food brand offers programming links to customers in Washington, DC, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Go to https://giantfood.com/pages/covid-info for more information.
Southeastern Grocers began giving 8,100 doses of free COVID-19 Modern vaccine starting Feb. 11 to eligible customers at some Winn-Dixie, Fresh and More and Harveys supermarket locations throughout Florida.
Acme Fresh Market, Big Y and Wegmans
Some of Topco Associates ’multiple brands also receive federal shipments of vaccines. Acme Fresh Market offers vaccination appointments at its Ohio pharmacies, although control was finally completely reserved. Check for updates here.
Big Y offers the vaccine in Massachusetts and Connecticut pharmacies. Wegmans offers photographs at some pharmacies in Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania.
Giant Eagle, Food City and Price Chopper
Topco-branded Giant Eagle offers the vaccine to pharmacies in Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, while Brookshire Grocery has started an online waiting list in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Food City is ready to offer the vaccine, but currently only has it in Virginia pharmacies. Price Chopper / Market 32 offers the vaccine in some 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, will also ship federal vaccines. Beaver Health Mart, of Pennsylvania, stopped online registration and said it would resume the application once the supply is replenished. Missouri residents can try registering at the Parkland Health Mart pharmacy site here.
Health Mart, CPESN USA and Good Neighbor
Wayne Drug, a Health Mart pharmacy in Oswego, New York, went on social media to keep customers informed.
Community Pharmacy Enhanced Service Network, or CPESN USA, participates in the federal program and offers vaccines in locations in Florida and Iowa.
Amerisource said it was placing orders with CDC on behalf of its network of Good Neighbor pharmacy and neighbor suppliers, a cooperative of 4,500 independently owned pharmacies in Kentucky, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Guam.
Initially, Amerisource allocates more than 10,000 doses per week to more than 100 independent community pharmacies.
In San Joaquin County, California, Save Mart Company’s lucky pharmacy offers appointments here.