Walgreens begins administering the COVID-19 vaccine in select states
Walgreens and CVS are leading the effort for vaccinations of staff and residents of long-term care facilities.
Photo courtesy of Walgreens
Walgreens today began administering Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to residents and staff at long-term care facilities in Ohio and Connecticut.
Walgreens pharmacy team members will provide COVID-19 vaccinations in approximately 800 long-term care facilities across 12 states the week of December 21, including many in rural and urban medically-underserved areas.
The company will continue to expand vaccinations to nearly three million residents and staff at 35,000 long-term care facilities that have selected Walgreens as their vaccine provider, as states finalize their distribution plans and receive vaccine allocations.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Staff and residents of long-term care facilities are the second priority group, after frontline healthcare workers, to receive the vaccine.
Walgreens and CVS are leading the effort to have pharmacists provide vaccinations at nursing homes and assisted living facilities as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care Program, General Gustave F. Perna said earlier this week. Perna is chief operations officer for Operation Warp Speed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is collaborating with 19 pharmacy chains to enable states to access the vaccine for distribution.
THE LARGER TREND
The first COVID-19 vaccine to receive emergency use authorization, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, began its distribution to healthcare workers on Monday, December 14.
The Moderna vaccine received approval yesterday from the advisory committee for the Food and Drug Administration. Moderna is expected to have 20 million doses available for distribution by the end of the month.
COVID-19 vaccines are not available to the general population at this time.
ON THE RECORD
"Walgreens is very proud to be a part of this historic milestone to begin administering Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to our most vulnerable populations," said John Standley, president, Walgreens. "With more than a decade of experience administering various vaccines, we have the deep expertise to support this unprecedented effort to allow our nation to emerge from this pandemic."
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com
