The effort to immunize more Americans against coronavirus now includes major retail pharmacy chains.
The national pharmacy chains CVS Health and Walgreens are among the more than 20 major retailers receiving supplies of COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government this week. But getting a picture is not as easy as walking to the pharmacy door. Indeed, consumers are discouraged from going to stores, but rather align themselves by making an appointment online or by phone.
The federal program will be implemented in stages, based on available vaccine reserves, with shipments arriving immediately after Thursday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The federal government is providing 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to launch the program,” a CDC spokesman said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch. We are not able to confirm how many doses will be provided weekly to pharmacy partners over the coming weeks, but weekly allocations are anticipated to eventually increase as vaccine supply increases.
In conclusion, the federal government is working 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, with the CDC providing state-by-state accounting to retailers who will receive vaccine doses this week.
In Alabama, for example, Walmart pharmacies will receive federal vaccine deliveries, while in California, CVS and Rite Aid will receive doses. Vaccine shipments go to Hy-Vee and CPESN USA locations in Iowa and to Albertsons, Costco and Health Mart pharmacies in Washington State. Search for your status here.
Walgreens and CVS Health
Walgreens intends to offer a limited number of COVID-19 vaccinations in 15 states and jurisdictions as part of the federal program starting Friday, with health care workers, those aged 65 and over and people with pre-existing conditions among potential candidates, depending on state guidelines. Consumers can use Walgreens’ meeting scheduler, although the system may have been temporarily shut down on Tuesday.
The CDC will deliver a limited number of doses to Walgreens in Chicago and parts of Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York and New York City, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia. The company also administers the vaccine with local allocations in parts of Arkansas, California, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas, he said.
Originally scheduled to begin on Thursday, CVS began its vaccination efforts in the pharmacy on Friday in a limited number of locations in 11 states, with the company’s programming system opening on CVS.com or the CVS Pharmacy app on Thursday. Those without online access can call (800) 746-4287.
“Because active stores will change regularly based on the vaccine offering, CVS Health will not provide a complete list of participating locations,” it said in a Monday update.
The initial launch of CVS will involve approximately 250,000 total doses to be administered to eligible individuals 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 vaccinations 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 vaccinations,” said the chain, which operates nearly 10,000 pharmacies nationwide.
Walmart, Sam’s Club and Rite Aid
More than 1,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies in 22 states are receiving federal vaccine allocations this week, with vaccines set to begin on Friday. 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 offers vaccinations using 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 10 miles from a Walmart. We are at the center of many rural and underserved communities and are committed to providing access to vaccines as groups become eligible,” said Dr. Cheryl Pegus, vice -executive at Walmart. President, Health & Wellness, said in a press release on Tuesday.
Rite Aid receives 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, a spokesman said in a statement. email to CBS MoneyWatch. “These allocations will supplement existing and ongoing state and local allocations,” he added.
The Rite Aid chain, which operates 2,450 stores in 18 states, has limited information about registering here for a vaccination.
Publix, Costco and Kroger
Publix said Tuesday it opens appointments Wednesday for administering the Modern COVID-19 vaccine to eligible individuals at 593 Publix pharmacies in 41 Florida counties, using doses provided by the state and federal government. Publix pharmacies 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, usually Modern, in some locations in New York City, Oregon, Puerto Rico and Washington, the depository club said Friday in an update on its website.
Kroger pharmacies have a limited amount of vaccine and now offer it in certain locations in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin, according to an update late Monday. Consumers can check the availability of programming here.
Kroger – the nation’s largest food chain – said in December that its health unit would deliver the vaccine to 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states.
Albertsons, Hy-Vee and Meijer
Albertsons companies, which operate more than 1,700 pharmacies in its grocery stores in 34 states, also receive direct federal vaccine allocations. Consumers can check availability at the food and medicine retailer’s many 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 Albertsons in Salt Lake City, Utah, the COVID-19 vaccine is billed as “soon.”
Hy-Vee operates 275 stores in eight Midwestern states and offers federal vaccine doses at some of its 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 February 8 at clinics in its stores in Michigan. State residents over the age of 65 can register in advance 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 operates more than 400 stores in Texas and Mexico, offers the vaccine at some pharmacies in Texas. Check here for a new appointment.
Ahold Delhaize companies also offer the vaccine. This includes Stop & Shop, which operates 250 pharmacies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. Hannaford now schedules meetings in two of the five states in which it operates, New York and Massachusetts, and the Giant Food brand offers programming links to customers in Washington, DC, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Go to https://giantfood.com/pages/covid-info for details.
Southeastern Grocers will offer 8,100 free Modern COVID-19 vaccines starting Feb. 11 to eligible customers at some Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más and Harveys Supermarket locations across Florida.
Acme Fresh Market, Big Y and Wegmans
Some of the multiple Topco Associates brands also receive federal vaccine deliveries. Acme Fresh Market offers vaccination appointments at its pharmacies in Ohio, although they have been fully booked since Thursday afternoon. Check for updates here.
Big Y offers the vaccine at pharmacies in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Wegmans offers photos at some pharmacies in Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania.
Giant Eagle, Food City and Price Chopper
Topco’s Giant Eagle is able to deliver the vaccine to pharmacies in Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, while Brookshire Grocery has begun an online waiting list in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Food City is ready to offer the vaccine, but currently only has it at pharmacies in Virginia. Price Chopper / Market 32 offers the vaccine at 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 in the US – is also in line for federal shipments of vaccines. Beaver Health Mart of Pennsylvania has discontinued its online registration, saying it will resume receiving orders with its supply. Missouri residents can try to register on the Parkland Health Mart Pharmacy website 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.
The Community Pharmacy Enhanced Service Network, or CPESN USA, participates in the federal program and provides vaccines in locations in Florida and Iowa.
AmerisourceBergen said last week that it is placing orders with the CDC on behalf of the Good Neighbor Pharmacy and Elevate Provider Network – a cooperative of 4,500 independently owned pharmacies – in Kentucky, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Guam.
In San Joaquin County, California, Save Mart’s Lucky Pharmacy offers appointments here.