In total the retail giant and Sam’s Club, which it owns, will be offering the service in 22 states, and over 1,000 store pharmacies are taking part.
Walmart said it was trying to focus on communities that have “limited access to healthcare”—a stance other stores such as Walgreens have also taken.
Walmart’s participation in the vaccine rollout is part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, which involves a collaboration between central government, states, and a total of 21 pharmacy outlets. It began last week.
In a press release, the nationwide retailer said it had been given an “limited” supply of vaccines, which would vary by state, though this is due to increase week by week.
Not all states have been partnered with the same retailers, so here are all the states in which Walmart and Sam’s Club will be offering a COVID-19 vaccine: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
Customers wishing to receive a vaccine from Walmart and Sam’s Club should visit the online scheduler for either outlet. A membership is not required for the latter.
Walmart said it was hoping to take advantage of its nationwide reach to deliver the vaccine to the 150 million customers who pass through its doors each week.
Dr. Cheryl Pegus, Walmart’s executive vice president of health and wellness, said in a press release last week: “Ninety percent of the country lives within 10 miles of a Walmart. We’re at the heart of many rural and underserved communities, and we are committed to providing access to vaccines as groups become eligible.”
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said in the press release: “Our top priority is to vaccinate as many people as we can in Tennessee, and Walmart is a great large-scale partner to help reach that goal.”
Walmart did not specify how many vaccines it would be rolling out at each of its participating stores. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in the program’s early stages, pharmacies would be given “around 1 million doses each week” to then be divided around the country.
According to the CDC’s latest vaccine data, which was updated on Sunday, 52,884,356 vaccine doses have been administered in the U.S. out of 70,057,800 that were distributed.
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