As CVS pharmacists continue to administer COVID-19 vaccines at federal long-term care facilities, the company will begin offering injections at more than a dozen CVS pharmacies in South Carolina, including Sumter.
Appointments will be available for booking on February 9 at 17 CVS Pharmacy locations in Aiken, Anderson, Clemson, Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Summerville and Sumter. The supply for limited implementation in the state, which a press release said was “obtained directly from the federal pharmaceutical partnership program”, will be about 15,3000 doses. As more supplies become available, the company will expand to more locations.
It was not clear which location Sumter will receive the doses.
“One of our greatest strengths as a company is its presence in communities across the country, which makes us an ideal partner to administer vaccines in a safe, convenient and family-friendly manner,” said Karen S. Lynch, president and CEO of CVS Health .
Vaccines at participating locations will be available to individuals who meet the state’s eligibility. Patients must register in advance at www.CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app, and people without online access can contact CVS customer service at (800) 746-7287. Unmarked vaccination will not be provided.
The availability of COVID-19 vaccines in South Carolina is part of an initial launch in 11 states and includes approximately 335 CVS pharmacy locations in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia. The vaccines will eventually be available at Pharmacy CVS locations across the country, subject to product availability, with the capacity to administer 20-25 million vaccines per month.
This effort continues as CVS Health continues to visit residents and employees at long-term care institutions across the state. According to CVS Saúde and the State Department of Health and Environmental Control, the first doses in all units of the state that have scheduled clinics will be completed in mid-February.
According to DHEC, on Tuesday afternoon, 48,149 doses of Moderna were administered on the premises of the LTC Program.
DHEC put 75% of the Pfizer vaccines that it received, as well as 50% of the non-LTC doses of the Program in the arms, and administered 420,964 total doses until Tuesday.
Nearly 399,000 people in South Carolina tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 6,500 died, according to DHEC.