“Millions of Americans turn to local pharmacies every day for drugs, flu shots and more. And pharmacies are easily accessible in most communities, with most Americans living less than five miles from a pharmacy,” White House response coordinator Covid-19 Jeff Zients said at a briefing.
The program, which will begin launching on February 11, will begin at about 6,500 stores that will receive a total of 1 million doses before eventually expanding, said Zients.
The government also announced that it is increasing the weekly allocation of vaccines to states, tribes and territories by 5%, bringing the weekly total of vaccines purchased per week to a minimum of 10.5 million.
And Zients said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would fully reimburse states for eligible services they have provided since the pandemic began in January 2020. The reimbursements will include personal protective equipment and the mobilization of the National Guard, Zients said, estimating the price. tag will be between $ 3-5 billion.
In his briefing, Zients sought to manage expectations for the launch of the pharmacy. He said vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna are increasing production to provide extra doses.
“In the initial phase, many pharmacies across the country will not have a vaccine, or may have a very limited supply,” he said.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with states to select drugstore locations, which will take into account “their ability to reach some of the populations most at risk of serious illnesses caused by Covid-19, including socially vulnerable communities. “said Zients. .
Government officials informed representatives of major drugstore chains on Tuesday before publicly announcing the plan.
The White House has listed 21 national pharmacy chains that will participate in the program’s initial phase, including Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid.
The plan to expand vaccine availability in pharmacies has been underway for a long time and was also a key component in the distribution plan of the former Trump administration. In some states, such as Maryland, these plans are underway and pharmacies have started to distribute vaccines.
Public health experts said it is critical to expand the locations that Americans can visit to get vaccinated, both to streamline distribution efforts, but also to ensure that the vaccine is available to a wider range of the public as vaccine disparities arise .
However, adding new vaccination sites will only alleviate part of the problem. The supply of vaccines remains extremely limited and additional sites are likely to emerge as states are still clamoring for more doses.
Last month, the new Director of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, told NBC News that the anticipated expansion to pharmacies would not mean all pharmacies, everywhere.
“I don’t think that at the end of February we will have the vaccine in all pharmacies in this country,” said Walensky.
CNN’s Jason Hoffman contributed to this report.