On Tuesday, the daily COVID-19 death toll in the United States hit a record at 4,327. On Thursday there was a glimmer of hope — the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine finally hit retail stores. And on Friday, President-elect Joe Biden announced an enormous coronavirus vaccine effort, an effort in which retail pharmacies will play a significant role.
Retail pharmacies in New York begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to elderly individuals this week. Ohio and Colorado will follow suit soon, according to a press call with officials from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores.
“We’re wearing masks and social distancing and playing it safe,” NACDS president and CEO Stephen Anderson said during the call. “Yet, we all know that we will not overcome the pandemic, protect ourselves and others, revive livelihoods, and get back to all that we need and all that we love without these safe and effective vaccines.”
Anderson said that retail pharmacies will play a critical role in the next step of combatting the pandemic.
“Based on conservative assumptions, pharmacies have the capacity to meet the demand for 100 million vaccine doses in one month when that level of the vaccine supply is available,” Anderson said.
Part of Biden’s proposed vaccination plan includes an effort to increase capacity at chain and independent pharmacies.
Retailers have already been helping to roll out the coronavirus vaccine in the United States. Pharmacy chains have begun vaccinating their own staffers and even assisted with inoculating individuals in nursing homes. National pharmacy chain CVS alone has administered more than one million vaccines across the country as of Thursday… Business Insider
