Thousands of drugstores will be able to give COVID-19 vaccines next week, White House says
Pharmacies around the nation will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to the public this month, with CVS telling The Sacramento Bee that 100 of its California locations will start scheduling vaccinations on Feb. 9.
In a statement from the White House, the Biden administration announced Tuesday that 21 national drugstore partners and independent pharmacy networks will be giving out shots at 40,000 locations across the country starting Feb. 11.
In addition to CVS, the national partners include Albertsons stores such as Safeway and Vons, as well as Costco, Raley’s and Bel Air, Rite Aid, Walgreens and Winn-Dixie. Although Raley’s and Bel Air has been approved, Raley’s spokesman Kevin Buffalino said Wednesday that the stores would not begin administering the vaccines Feb. 11 and would update customers at its website when the COVID-19 shots are available.
President Joe Biden also noted that he “will increase overall, weekly vaccine supply to states, tribes, and territories to 10.5 million doses nationwide beginning this week.”
“As the first phase of this program launches, select retail pharmacies nationwide will receive limited vaccine supply to vaccinate priority groups at no cost,” according to a White House statement. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worked with states to select initial pharmacy partners based on a number of factors including their ability to reach some of the populations most at risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Americans should check their pharmacy’s website to find out if vaccine is available as supply will be limited in the initial phase.“
In a news release, CVS leaders said the public can go to the website to enter their information and find stores near them where the vaccine is being offered and check eligibility. In California, CVS officials said, the company will get roughly 81,900 doses of the vaccine to fight COVID-19, a respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.
“One of our greatest strengths as a company is our presence in communities across the country, which makes us an ideal partner for administering vaccines in a safe, convenient, and familiar manner,” said Karen S. Lynch, chief executive officer of CVS Health. “We continue to be grateful for the commitment of our front-line colleagues whose dedication has allowed us to deliver care and peace of mind throughout the pandemic.”
Any consumers who don’t have online access can contact CVS customer service at 800-746-7287 to verify eligibility and find a location.
This story was originally published February 2, 2021 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Thousands of drugstores will be able to give COVID-19 vaccines next week, White House says."
