Walmart is preparing to expand its coronavirus vaccination operation to seven other states beyond the two it currently offers vaccinations, a spokesman for The Hill confirmed on Friday.
Walmart will begin offering vaccinations in Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas, as well as in Chicago and Puerto Rico, this week and next, according to the spokesman.
The vaccines will be made available to certain populations decided by each state and only to a handful of stores in those states, according to Reuters, which reported for the first time on the expansion.
The retail giant is already vaccinating health care workers in Arkansas, where it is headquartered, as well as in New Mexico.
Walmart also confirmed to Reuters that it is partnering with Alabama to provide COVID-19 vaccinations.
Scott Harris, the Alabama state officer, announced the deal on Thursday, accordingly Al.com, but did not specify a timeline for when it will start. He also said that another agreement is underway with a “major chain of pharmacies”.
The expansion comes as the US struggles to inoculate as many people as possible, amid a slow vaccination campaign.
To date, more than 37.9 million vaccines have been distributed, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of which approximately 17.5 million were administered.
President Biden has set a goal of administering 100 million coronavirus vaccines in the first 100 days of his presidency and unveiled a national COVID-19 strategy which includes steps to achieve this goal.
The president directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin setting up community immunization centers, and the CDC is expanding access to vaccines through local pharmacies.
“Walmart is ready to serve our country, our customers and our partners,” the company said in a blog post on Friday. “We appreciate the conversations we have had with both administrations and the ongoing conversations we have with the new Biden administration.”
“We look forward to the day when we can activate our strengths to serve our communities and administer the vaccine.”
Updated at 10:09