Skowhegan, Maine – Pat and John Thomas were watching the news one evening last week when they saw Walmart in this central Maine city of 8,000 people taking appointments for the Covid-19 vaccination. They signed up to be shot at a hospital about a month ago, but hadn’t heard anything yet. Mrs. Thomas, a 74-year-old retiree, jumped on the computer.
On Friday, the couple received the first doses of Skowhegan Walmart as part of a new federal government program that offers Covid-19 vaccines directly to retail pharmacies across the country.
“We will be able to see our family and friends,” said Ms. Thomas, a former assistant manager at a bank that is married to her husband, a 78-year-old retired accountant at the age of 48. “It will be nice to be able to visit and go somewhere when you’re not afraid.”
Walmart Inc., the largest retailer and private employer in the US, is set to become one of the largest distributors of the Covid-19 vaccine as the federal government calls on retail pharmacies to speed up what has been a hectic launch. .
Last week, 21 retail chains and pharmacy networks began delivering these doses, including CVS, Walgreens, Kroger and Food in all 50 states. The government initially intends to give about one million doses a week directly to pharmacies. About 200,000 of them go to Walmart, a spokeswoman said.