- Added states include Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina.
- CVS is now administering vaccines in about 1,200 stores in 29 states, the company said.
- Schedules for doses in the newly added states are available for reservation from Saturday, CVS said.
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Beginning on Saturday, qualified residents in 12 other states can begin booking COVID-19 vaccines at the CVS pharmacy.
This week, vaccines were distributed to CVS locations in Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, Oklahoma, Utah, Minnesota and Vermont.
The company is now administering vaccines in nearly 1,200 stores in 29 states and in Puerto Rico, Philadelphia and New York, CVS Health said in a statement.
“We are increasing the number of active stores and expanding to other states as fast as the supply allows, with the capacity to administer 20 to 25 million injections per month,” said Karen S. Lynch, president and chief executive officer of CVS Health. “We are also focused on priority populations, including vulnerable communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, as well as teachers and school support staff.”
The expansion comes as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program that was announced by the White House last month, stipulating that more than 40,000 pharmacies across the country will receive doses of vaccines to give eligible populations.
In February, selected CVS Pharmacy locations began offering doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in 17 states as part of the program.
President Joe Biden announced earlier this month that pre-K through 12 educators, staff and caregivers of children should receive at least one injection of the two-dose vaccine by the end of March.
This eligible group accounted for more than 30% of appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine at CVS pharmacies between March 3 and 10, the company said.
Separately, the pharmacy giant said its launch of vaccines at long-term care facilities was a “success”.
Its pharmacy teams have completed the provision of second doses at all nursing facilities and that the third and final visits are 90% complete, said CVS. In addition, doses of the second vaccine in assisted living and other facilities are 91% complete, he said.
The company administered approximately 4.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine through the Pharmaceutical Partnership Program for Long-Term Care, offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to facilitate vaccination on site for employees and residents in over 65,000 long-term attendance enrolled facilities.
On Wednesday, Target began delivering doses of vaccine to more than 600 CVS pharmacies located within its stores.