The main headlines of Fox Business Flash are here. Check out what is clicking on FoxBusiness.com.
Federal health officials can soon count on the large discount retailer Dollar General to accelerate the launch of coronavirus vaccines in rural areas across the country.
The director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky, announced during the Health Action Alliance’s virtual National Business Summit on Tuesday that the agency is in talks with the retailer to help in underserved areas where residents do not have as much access. to big stores, according to USA Today.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT FOX BUSINESS
“We are exploring a promising collaboration with Dollar General stores, which have locations that include cooling capacity within 10 or 15 miles of our rural communities in all but four states,” said Walensky.
A local Dollar General store in Bethlehem, North Carolina, on June 5, 2019. (iStock)
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE MOVE BY CLICKING HERE
Dollar General confirmed on its website that it is still in talks with the CDC “about the ways in which the company can support national COVID-19 testing and vaccine efforts”.
With more than 16,700 locations across the country, the company believes it is “well positioned to assist in these efforts”.
In fact, about 75% of its stores are less than five miles from communities with a maximum of 20,000 residents.
Rural areas face greater challenges with vaccine implantation due to a lack of adequate supplies and medical professionals compared to major cities in the country.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DG | GENERAL DOLLAR | 189.67 | +2.12 | + 1.13% |
| WMT | WALMART, INC. | 132.14 | -0.14 | -0.11% |
To combat this, major retailers and pharmacies are working to ensure equitable distribution of the vaccine in the communities they serve.
For example, Walmart, which has already partnered with the federal government to administer vaccines, said it has about 4,000 Walmart locations “in one or more of the medically underserved areas designated by the federal government” and plans to serve these communities through COVID-19 vaccination events.
Dollar General did not offer specific details about these efforts, but will provide more information as it becomes available.
THE GENERAL DOLLAR WILL PAY WORKERS TO OBTAIN THE COVID-19 VACCINE
Representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not respond to FOX Business’s request for comment.