Amazon, Walmart stand ready to assist with national COVID-19 vaccine rollout
As the Biden administration races to speed up the national COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Amazon and Walmart both made major announcements indicating that both retailers are ready to help with this Herculean effort.
Cheryl Pegus, Walmart executive vice president of Health & Wellness issued a message on the company's website, stating, "Today, at the dawn of the most significant vaccine rollout of our lifetimes, Walmart again stands ready to serve. As we look to a future when supply can meet demand and more people are eligible to receive the vaccine, we plan to offer the vaccine seven days a week at our pharmacies, through planned in-store vaccination clinics and through large community events."
The retailer has been training thousands of pharmacists and pharmacy techs, building a new digital scheduling tool to make appointments easy, and partnering with state and federal agencies as they await allocations, Pegus noted.
Walmart expects it will be able to deliver 10 to 13 million doses per month when supply and allocations allow. Walmart and Sam’s Club operate more than 5,000 pharmacies in the United States. and Puerto Rico, many of which serve underserved communities and the heart of rural America.
"With 150 million people passing through our doors each week, we’re in a unique position to reach people where they already shop. We’re also a federal pharmacy partner and can accept federal allocation of doses in all our Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies. Specifically, there are key areas where we stand ready to help ensure Americans have access to the vaccine. The first is what many term “health care deserts.” These are mostly rural locations where there are very few options for customers to find health care. We have nearly 4,000 Walmart locations that are positioned within one or more of the federally designated medically underserved areas or where there are limited pharmacy options," Pegus said.
Pegus continued, "The second is through COVID-19 vaccination events in underserved communities. Walmart has the reach and the qualified, trained pharmacists and pharmacy staff to partner with community organizations to provide vaccination services at third party locations like churches, stadiums and youth centers."
Pegus said Walmart is doing everything it can to help ensure the health and well-being of its associates and customers during the pandemic, including keeping everyone updated and informed. "We’re educating essential workers and all associates on getting the vaccine as soon as they are eligible. We are strongly encouraging all associates to get vaccinated but are not mandating anyone receive the vaccine nor are we providing incentives at this time."
On Wednesday, Amazon offered to help with the national effort to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a letter addressed to President Joe Biden, which was obtained by CNBC.
“As you begin your work leading the country out of the COVID-19 crisis, Amazon stands ready to assist you in reaching your goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans in the first 100 days of your administration,” Dave Clark, CEO of Amazon’s worldwide consumer business, wrote in the letter, which was first reported on by Reuters.
Clark said Amazon stands ready to leverage its operations, information technology and communications capabilities and expertise to “assist your administration’s vaccination efforts.” He added that Amazon has reached an agreement with a third-party health-care provider to administer vaccines on-site at the company’s warehouses.
Amazon has been vying for its front-line workers to have priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Last month, Clark wrote to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel asking that the company’s front-line employees “receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the earliest appropriate time.” Clark also emphasized that Amazon’s front-line workers have played an essential role in helping consumers get necessary products delivered to their homes during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the report.