Selected Oregon pharmacies will begin offering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible Oregon citizens next week under a new distribution program.
The federal government will send approximately 1 million doses of vaccines directly to 6,500 pharmacies across the country, when launching the first phase of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, White House officials announced on Tuesday. Pharmacies can start vaccination free of charge from February 11, officials said.
The White House is working with 21 national partner pharmacies and independent pharmacy chains that represent more than 40,000 pharmacies across the country, although not all partner pharmacies receive doses during the first phase of the program.
The Oregon portion will go to Costco, Health Mart Pharmacies and Albertsons Companies, which includes the Albertsons and Safeway stores. So far, most vaccines have been administered in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and special vaccination sites, such as the Oregon Convention Center.
It is unclear how many doses Oregon will receive in the next week or consistently. The Oregon Health Authority did not respond to requests for information on Tuesday or Wednesday.
But Jill McGinnis, a spokeswoman for Albertsons, said the company predicts that approximately 11,500 doses will be shipped to 115 Albertsons and Safeway pharmacies in Oregon next week, with about 100 doses going to each location. She said the number of vaccine doses the company receives could change.
Oregon residents currently eligible to receive vaccines under state guidelines will be able to apply for online appointments through the company once it has the vaccines, McGinnis said.
Health care professionals, people living in nursing homes and other congregated care settings, childcare providers and teachers are currently eligible to receive vaccines in Oregon. Oregon seniors will begin to become eligible to receive vaccines next week, with those over 80 eligible from February 8, according to guidance from the Oregon Health Authority.
Albertsons and Safeway published information about vaccine availability and online registration at www.albertsons.com/COVID-19 and www.safeway.com/COVID-19. The available times are not yet available because the company does not yet have vaccine allocation.
“Demand is high and appointments are often requested very quickly, and we ask the public to remain patient,” said McGinnis. “As dose allocations increase, so will the opportunity to guarantee an appointment. The company is kindly asking the public to check the website first for the most up-to-date information before calling the local store or pharmacy. “
A spokesman for Health Mart Pharmacies said it was not yet clear how many doses of vaccine would be sent to their pharmacies in Oregon next week. The two Health Mart locations are in Eugene and Creswell.
Costco declined to comment on his plans. There are 13 Costco stores throughout Oregon.
The White House said it chose pharmacies to receive initial doses based on a number of factors, including its ability to reach populations most at risk of serious illness due to COVID-19.
Jeff Zients, the White House’s COVID-19 response coordinator, told reporters on Tuesday that the federal government saw the first few weeks of the retail pharmacy program as a test. He said this could be increased over time, with doses being sent to around 40,000 pharmacies across the country.
– Jamie Goldberg | [email protected] | @jamiebgoldberg