- CVS stores in Florida, Alabama, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Ohio will now have vaccines available.
- Around 570,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses will be distributed to CVS pharmacy locations.
- Vaccine appointments for these doses will begin starting February 25.
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Select CVS Pharmacy locations will offer around 570,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses in 17 states including the newly added states of Florida, Alabama, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Ohio, CVS Health said on Wednesday in a press release.
Eligible people can book appointments starting February 24 for these doses with shots beginning February 25, the company said. The doses will be provided through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, a plan meant to increase access to the vaccine in which over 40,000 US pharmacies are set to receive vaccine doses to offer eligible people at no cost starting February 11.
CVS has been offering vaccines on a limited basis in Ohio as it relied on state allocations, but now that the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program is activated in the state, the number of stores will increase as supply grows, a company spokesperson told Insider.
CVS Health’s in-store vaccine rollout initially began on February 12 in 11 states including California, Hawaii, Texas, South Carolina, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, and Virginia. CVS Pharmacy is able to administer from 20 million to 25 million shots per month, according to the press release.
The locations were selected based on a number of factors including the High SVI rank determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index, population density, and demographics, according to CVS.
"Feedback on every aspect of the vaccination process has been incredibly positive, from the digital experience to interacting with our team of health care professionals," said Karen S. Lynch, President, and CEO at CVS Health said in the press release. "We're also making significant progress in reaching vulnerable communities, which will continue to be an essential part of our vaccination effort."
The pharmaceutical company added it will expand in additional states as more supply becomes available. The spokesperson declined to share future expansion plans with Insider at the moment.
Last week, the drugstore chain said that it administered over three million COVID-19 vaccines and around 15 million COVID-19 tests nationwide.
Separately, Walgreens is set to receive a weekly allocation of over 480,000 vaccine doses starting February 25, the company announced last week. It also said that it provided over three million vaccinations across long-term facilities and vulnerable communities that are prioritized by the state.
As part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, Walgreens began in-store vaccinations in 17 states and administered about 180,000 doses of the first weekly vaccine allocation, the company said.