CVS Health said it has nearly doubled its Covid-19 vaccination efforts to U.S. pharmacies in 29 states and Puerto Rico.
The additional shipments have enabled CVS to add 13 additional states plus New York City and Philadelphia in the past week. The company is now administering Covid-19 vaccines in nearly 1,200 select drugstores located in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia.
“We’re increasing the number of active stores and expanding to additional states as fast as supply allows, with the capacity to administer 20- 25 million shots per month,” CVS Health president and chief executive Karen Lynch said. “We’re also focused on priority populations, including vulnerable communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic as well as teachers and school support staff.”
Meanwhile, CVS said its nearly completed the vaccination effort in nursing homes where the drugstore chain and its rival Walgreens first began administering Covid-19 vaccines to residents and staff in late December. That combined national effort under contracts awarded by the federal government has dramatically reduced infection among elderly residents at long-term care facilities, CVS and Walgreens have confirmed.
“Between December 20 and February 21 there has been a 94% decrease in Covid-19 cases, and an 84 percent decrease in Covid-19 deaths,” CVS said Thursday in its announcement, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. “Per the company’s publicly available data, CVS Pharmacy teams have completed second doses at all skilled nursing facilities, and third and final visits are 90 percent complete. Second doses at assisted living and other facilities are 91 percent complete, with more than half of third and final visits complete. CVS Health has administered nearly 4.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses through the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program.”
