Bryan Llenas reports from Riverdale, New York.
Walgreens administered more than 1 million coronavirus vaccines at the country’s long-term care facilities and other vulnerable populations, the company said on Friday. The pharmacy chain is also on track to complete the administration of the first doses of the vaccine in specialist wards by Monday, according to a press release.
Walgreens began administering the vaccines on December 21 as part of the Pharmacy Partnership Program for Disease Control and Prevention for Long-Term Care. The vaccine is not yet available to the general public, but the store has also started administering it to populations deemed eligible by state and local jurisdictions in certain regions.
At the moment, the drugstore chain is not offering the vaccine on a mobile basis. Persons eligible to receive the vaccine must make an appointment at the designated Walgreens stores.
WALMART IS EXPECTING TO DELIVER UP TO 13M DOSES PER MONTH
“Thanks to the dedication of tens of thousands of members of the Walgreens pharmacy team, we were able to provide 1 million COVID-19 vaccines to those who need them most in just one month,” said John Standley, president of Walgreens. “This unprecedented effort had challenges, but as federal, state and local jurisdictions continue to advance their prioritization and distribution plans, we were able to rapidly expand access to the vaccine to the most vulnerable populations in our country and help our communities get started this pandemic is emerging. “
Last week, Stanley applauded President Biden’s plans to bring more online pharmacies to help distribute vaccines across the United States. Stanley praised the various storage locations and the “trusted presence of the community” and said, “Walgreens is well positioned to administer COVID-19 vaccines and help our nation get out of this pandemic.”
Walgreens said he is on track to complete the administration of the first doses in specialist wards by Monday. (Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg / Education Images / Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
“Although we have been vaccinating our most vulnerable population in long-term care institutions since the end of December, our team members in the communities we serve are ready, willing and able to vaccinate in our stores. We look forward to working with the President, choose to expand vaccines in a way that is convenient and fair for all Americans. ”
Initially, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said the vaccine should reach pharmacies between mid-February and early March, but the new Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky, said it is unlikely. .
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“You know, as we talk to manufacturers and think about supply and eligibility, we are going to put the vaccine in pharmacies as part of our plan,” he said. Dr. Rochelle Walensky said TODAY on Thursday. “Will it be in all pharmacies in the country in that timeline? I don’t think so. As I said at the beginning, I’m going to tell the truth here – I don’t think that at the end of February we will have vaccines in all pharmacies in this country.”