After being tapped to vaccinate workers and residents of skilled nursing facilities across the US, Walgreens and CVS both have said that they are on track to conclude the first round of coronavirus vaccinations on Monday.
COVID-19 vaccines currently come in two doses, with the second shot being administered three to four weeks following the first.
A skilled nursing facility differs from assisted living homes as skilled nursing facilities offer more medical services whereas assisted living facilities are more residential in nature. While CVS and Walgreens are being tasked with administering vaccines at both types of facilities, both chains prioritized skilled nursing facilities.
On Friday, Walgreens said that it was on track to complete the first round of vaccinations by today to more than 6,600 skilled nursing facilities. CVS said on Monday that it has completed the first round of vaccinations at 8,000 skilled nursing facilities.
To date, CVS has administered 2 million coronavirus shots, while Walgreens has completed 1 million.
"We've administered nearly two million shots to one of our most vulnerable populations through onsite and, in many cases, room-to-room visits," said Karen S. Lynch, currently Executive Vice President, CVS Health and President, Aetna, who will become the company's next President and CEO on February 1. "Our dedicated health care professionals are reaching long-term care residents and staff as soon as possible based on activation dates selected by the states, while navigating the challenges of a complex rollout."
CVS said it expects to complete the first round of coronavirus vaccine to all nursing homes by mid-February.
Walgreens has not put a date on when it expects to complete the nursing homes it has been assigned.
“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.”
In total, the two companies will visit 75,000 facilities.
There are currently two coronavirus vaccines that have garnered an emergency use authorization from the FDA. A vaccine produced by Pfizer, which studies indicate has a 95% efficacy rate, began being administered in the US last month. A second coronavirus vaccine, which is produced by Moderna and has a 94% efficacy rate, began being administered last month as well.
