CVS is expanding its vaccination programs.
CVS Health said it will begin receiving at least 570,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses weekly as part of the broader effort to increase vaccination at U.S. pharmacies in 17 states.
The Biden administration last week said it was increasing the number of doses sent to states while doubling the number of doses sent directly to U.S. retail pharmacies including CVS and Walgreens drugstores.
On Wednesday, CVS said it will begin taking “appointments for the latest allocation of approximately 570,000 doses” immediately for booking “with shots beginning February 25,” which is Thursday. The CVS announcement comes after Walgreens last week said it, too, will be receiving more than 480,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses weekly for the U.S. government in more than 20 states and jurisdictions.
CVS drugstores in the following U.S. states will get the doses: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. CVS said it began in-store vaccinations in 11 states on Feb. 12 under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and is now adding six more states as doses have become available.
“Feedback on every aspect of the vaccination process has been incredibly positive, from the digital experience to interacting with our team of health care professionals,” CVS chief executive Karen Lynch said. “We’re also making significant progress in reaching vulnerable communities, which will continue to be an essential part of our vaccination effort.”
Eventually, CVS has said it will be able to administer 20 million to 25 million dosages a month depending on the U.S. supply of vaccines.
