Kroger Health reaches COVID-19 vaccination milestone
Kroger’s health care division is celebrating a major milestone.
The retailer recently shared that Kroger Health has administered its 10 millionth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
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“As Kroger Health reaches the critical milestone of administering our 10 millionth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, we lift up our amazing associates across Kroger Health's pharmacies and clinics who continue to inspire through their dedication to providing best-in-class patient care,” Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health said. “Our commitment to filling patient prescriptions as well as vaccinating patients the past two years is remarkable as the healthcare industry faces significant challenges. We are tremendously encouraged by our team's ability to continue helping America heal and recover from the impacts of the pandemic.”
In order to reach such a number, over the last 24 months, Kroger Health has worked to help the fight against COVID-19 by partnering with federal and state governments to facilitate the administration of vaccines and tests at its 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics.
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In addition, the retailer also joined the Biden administration’s initiatives to accelerate COVID-19 testing and vaccinations across the nation by reducing pricing and making at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests available to customers at cost from September to December 2021, the company said.
Currently, in stores with pharmacy locations, Kroger Health offers Abbott’s Binax Now test, and in non-pharmacy stores it offers Quidel’s QuickVue test. There also has been the introduction of a polymerase chain reaction home collection kit enabled by Gravity Diagnostics in select locations.
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“Our administration of over 10 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and our team's ability to quickly respond to updates in CDC guidance regarding vaccinations and other new developments have been essential tools in our fight against the virus,” says Dr. Marc Watkins, Kroger’s chief medical officer. “Vaccines remain the most effective method of preventing and reducing the impact of COVID-19, and with the recent release of multiple therapeutic options for those who contract the virus, we remain optimistic.”
Other initiatives included hosting drive-through testing sites and vaccination clinics across the country to improve accessibility, as well as forming partnerships to provide customers with transportation to vaccination appointments.