After a miserable year in the dark night of a pandemic, a new day is about to dawn.
Millions of Americans have received the vaccine against COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. And the rest of us will have our opportunity soon.
If you can’t wait to get the shot — and to return to normal life — you’ll want to bookmark this story. Following is a list of pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination.
The program is a collaboration that includes the federal government, states and territories, and 21 national pharmacy partners and independent pharmacy networks.
Right now, the program is slowly rolling out to select pharmacy locations that are vaccinating eligible individuals. Eventually, more than 40,000 pharmacies will administer the vaccine to everyone who wants it.
Walmart and Sam’s Club
Both the retail giant and its affiliated warehouse club are ready to begin vaccinating Americans.
On Feb. 2, Walmart said select pharmacies at retailer locations in 22 states would begin administering the vaccine once doses are available late next week. According to Walmart:
“Once our locations have received the vaccines, eligible customers and members can reserve a convenient vaccine appointment directly via a scheduling tool on the Walmart and Sam’s Club websites, while allocation lasts. In addition to appointments, the scheduler will provide a digital reminder when it’s time to return for the second dose of the vaccine in order for the vaccine to be fully effective.”
Walmart already is vaccinating patients in states where it has agreements with local governments.
The states in which Walmart will be a federal pharmacy partner are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
For more information: Visit Walmart’s COVID-19 vaccine page.
Walgreens
Walgreens will begin its vaccination efforts as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination on Feb. 12.
Initially, 15 states and jurisdictions will participate: Chicago, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, New York City, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
The pharmacy chain already has been vaccinating people in states where it has reached agreements with local governments.
For more information: Visit Walgreens’ COVID-19 vaccine page.
CVS
On Feb. 11, certain CVS locations in 11 states will begin giving the vaccine to eligible populations. CVS expects the initial supply to be about 250,000 total doses. According to CVS:
“More than 90,000 health care professionals including pharmacists, licensed pharmacy technicians, and nurses will participate in the vaccination effort, giving CVS Pharmacy the capacity to administer 20-25 million shots per month.”
States where CVS will roll out its vaccination efforts are California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
CVS is also working directly with Indiana and Ohio to provide some vaccinations.
For more information: Visit CVS’ COVID-19 resource center.
Kroger and related pharmacies
The Kroger Co. announced in late December that it would partner with federal and state governments to offer the COVID-19 vaccine across its 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics. (The company’s other chains include Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter and Ralphs, among others.)
In January, Kroger said pharmacies at its Ralphs grocery stores had begun giving the vaccine to health care personnel in Southern California.
As of Feb. 3, pharmacies that are part of the Kroger family had received “a limited supply of the COVID-19 vaccine in select areas,” Kroger said, and the company will update its “COVID-19 Vaccine Availability” webpage regularly.
For more information: Visit Kroger’s COVID-19 vaccinations page.
Publix
Publix already has rolled out vaccinations in locations in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. There is no word yet on when or how Publix plans to expand its vaccination efforts in the near future.
For more information: Visit Publix’s COVID-19 vaccine page.
Costco
The warehouse club giant issued an announcement in late January that simply says it will begin offering the vaccine at its pharmacies “as soon as they are available, in accordance with CDC and state guidelines.”
Costco urges you not to contact your local Costco pharmacy, as such locations will not be able to schedule an appointment at this time.
For more information: Costco’s announcement directs people to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website or their state department of health website to learn more about vaccine availability in their area and their eligibility for the vaccine.
Others
Many other pharmacies — from Rite Aid to much smaller pharmacy chains — are participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination. There are 21 chains in all. For a full list, visit the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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