Walgreens administers 1 million COVID-19 vaccines

Walgreens has administered more than 1 million coronavirus vaccines in the nation’s long-term care facilities and to other vulnerable populations, the company said Friday. The pharmacy chain is also on track to complete administering the first doses of the vaccine in skilled nursing facilities by Monday, according to a press release.

Walgreens had begun administering the vaccines on Dec. 21 as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program. The vaccine is not yet available to the general public, but the store has also begun administering it to populations deemed eligible by state and local jurisdictions in certain regions.

At this time, the pharmacy chain is not offering the vaccine on a walk-in basis. People who are eligible to receive the vaccine are required to make an appointment at designated Walgreens stores.

WALMART EXPECTS TO DELIVER UP TO 13M DOSES PER MONTH

“Thanks to the dedication of tens of thousands of Walgreens pharmacy team members, we have been able to provide 1 million COVID-19 vaccinations to those who need them most in just one month,” said John Standley, president, Walgreens. “This unprecedented effort has not been without challenges, but as federal, state and local jurisdictions continue to advance their prioritization and distribution plans, we have been able to rapidly expand vaccine access to our nation’s most vulnerable populations and help our communities begin to emerge from this pandemic.”

Last week, Stanley had applauded President Biden’s plans to bring more pharmacies online to assist in vaccine distribution throughout the U.S. Stanley touted the numerous store locations and “trusted community presence” and said, “Walgreens is well-positioned to administer COVID-19 vaccines and help our nation emerge from this pandemic.”

"While we have been vaccinating our most vulnerable population in long-term care facilities since late December, our team members embedded in the communities we serve stand ready, willing and able to vaccinate in our stores. We look forward to working with the president-elect to expand vaccines in a way that is convenient and equitable for all Americans.”

Initially, former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar had said the vaccine should make its way into pharmacies by mid-February to early March, but the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said it’s unlikely.

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"You know as we talk with the manufacturers and we think about the supply and eligibility, we are going to as part of our plan put the vaccine in pharmacies," Dr. Rochelle Walensky told TODAY on Thursday. "Will it be in every pharmacy in the country by that timeline I don’t think so. As I said early on I’m going to tell you the truth here – I don’t think late February we’re going to have vaccine in every pharmacy in this country."