RICHMOND, Virginia, – CVS Health pharmacies are partnering with the federal government to get the COVID-19 vaccine to reach communities that do not have medical service.
The national pharmacy chain will soon be one of 21 retail pharmacies across the country that will receive part of a stock of one million doses.
CVS has partnered with the Virginia Department of Health to distribute its share of vaccines, according to state vaccination coordinator Dr. Danny Avula.
Avula told reporters during Governor Ralph Northam’s COVID-19 press conference on Friday that Virginians will not have to re-register to make an appointment.
“There are thousands of people who are already pre-registered through the health departments,” Avula said. “We are still working on some of these details, but our intention and hope is that they will integrate with our strategy and not create another avenue for registration.”
CVS officials said the first dose shipment is scheduled to arrive in Virginia on Feb. 9, and the first round of administration will begin Feb. 11.
Slot registration will not begin until Feb. 9, a company official said.
Dose increase was activated through the Federal Pharmacy Collaboration Program.
Officials from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) told reporters Friday that 6,500 pharmacies will initially begin with the launch.
They said there are 45,000 pharmacies in total that could participate, but limited dose supply remains the main hurdle.
The federal program arose from the Obama-Biden administration’s effort to enact a national vaccination plan across pharmacies after the 2009 H1N1 virus.
Pharmacies will be measured with four performance metrics to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines: waste, profitability, venerable social index, and data recording.
Efforts are focused on reaching medically underserved communities. CVS and the rest of the participating pharmacies will set up mobile clinics that will travel to select neighborhoods and places of worship.
Virginia and 11 other states will participate in the launch of the program.
The vaccine will be available in Fredericksburg, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Stafford and Virginia Beach.
CVS has not yet announced which stores will participate.
CVS said Virginia stores will initially receive 28,000 doses, which are supplied through collaboration of the company with the federal government.
Doses will only be administered to those who register and will only be available to those who meet state vaccination criteria. Virginia currently vaccinates individuals from phase 1A and 1B categories.
To register, visit CVS.com, use the CVS Pharmacy app or call (800) 746-7287 if you do not have access to a computer.
Learn more about the program by clicking here.