COVID-19 vaccines to stress-test grocery stores and pharmacies

The responsibility for vaccinating the country against coronavirus is shifting to pharmacies and regional grocery stores with pharmacy counters. As more Americans become eligible to receive the vaccine, retail chains will assume much of the burden from state health departments, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. Pharmacy industry insiders note the stores are a popular health care access point for many people; already offer immunization services targeting influenza, shingles, and other illnesses; and have the space and manpower to host mass vaccinations. In the context of COVID, the chains will try to avoid the problems that dogged the initial vaccine rollout. For example, companies including CVS Health, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walmart, and Kroger will utilize online scheduling tools that can effectively manage the anticipated crush of appointments. CVS estimates it will eventually be able to vaccinate as many as 25 million people each month, while Walmart is targeting as many as 13 million vaccine recipients a month.