Pharmacies ready for expanded role in vaccinations

As the federal government prepares shipments of COVID vaccines for pharmacies, these businesses are prepared for an expanded role administering the doses as states attempt to reach vulnerable communities.

Following an announcement from the federal government that 1 million doses of the Moderna vaccine will ship directly to pharmacies next week, leaders with the National Chain Drug Store Association said its members, operating 40,000 stores, are ready to use their trusted role in communities to quickly get people immunized.

“All of the entities are ready to go and have really been investing in their infrastructure and their systems the last six months or so,” Kathleen Jaeger, a drugstore association senior vice president, said during a Friday conference call with media, referencing those pharmacy chains selected for initial distributions.

Amid increased vaccination efforts, hospitalizations for COVID-19 continued their downward trend on Friday, with a net drop of 10 patients bringing the total hospitalized around the state to 827.

The daily positivity rate hovered just above 3 percent, with 1,431 new cases reported out of 47,026 tests for a positivity rate of 3.04 percent.

Another 29 deaths attributed to the virus were reported, bringing the state’s death toll to 7,214, according to statistics from the state.

State officials said Connecticut’s vaccine hotline will expand hours starting Monday. More than 125 trained special

“It is important to understand that the supply of vaccines remains the rate-limiting factor in the vaccination effort.” Steven C. Anderson

ists will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through the week to help people book appointments.

Starting Feb. 11, CVS will start administering 6,800 vaccine through 11 stores, including in Avon, Bristol, Coventry, Glastonbury, Guilford, Hamden, Middletown, North Haven

and Uncasville.

Walgreen will administer 4,400 doses through 50 stores, but has not released the locations of the pharmacies. CVS and Walgreens will require online appointments. The stores are among 6,500 nationwide involved in the early round of direct-to-pharmacy vaccination distribution.

Officials with the drug store association said they could ramp up vaccination

even more, but supply from Moderna and Pfizer that is regulated by the federal government, remains the bottleneck.

Steven C. Anderson, the drugstore association president, said its members could meet President Joe Biden’s 100 million vaccine goal within a month.

“It is important to understand that the supply of vaccines remains the ratelimiting factor in the vaccination

effort,” Anderson said.

Anderson and others stressed the reach of pharmacies as a key factor in speeding up the vaccination process with stores operating within 5 miles of 90 percent of the country’s population.

Whether pharmacies will play a key role in Connecticut’s vaccine distribution efforts remains unclear, but state officials

this week acknowledged disparities in the vaccination rate of people age 75 and older in some urban communities.

The drugstore association said its membership, which includes CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Stop & Shop pharmacies, has previously played a critical role in providing vaccinations to undeserved communities.

“As COVID vaccine supply increases, it is important to ensure efficient and effective distribution in those communities that are most widely effected. The Biden Administration has expressed this is a priority and pharmacies are part of the solution,” said Christie Boutte, a senior vice president at the National Chain Drug Store Association.