DEERFIELD, Ill., December 18, 2020 - Today Walgreens began administering Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to residents and staff at long-term care facilities in a monumental first in the company’s 119-year history. Pharmacists are providing the vaccinations at nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Ohio and Connecticut as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care Program.
Walgreens pharmacy team members will provide COVID-19 vaccinations in approximately 800 long-term care facilities across 12 states the week of Dec. 21, including many in rural and urban medically-underserved areas. The company will continue to expand vaccinations to nearly 3 million residents and staff at 35,000 long-term care facilities that have selected Walgreens as their vaccine provider as states finalize their distribution plans and receive vaccine allocations.
“Walgreens is very proud to be a part of this historic milestone to begin administering Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to our most vulnerable populations,” said John Standley, president, Walgreens. “With more than a decade of experience administering various vaccines, we have the deep expertise to support this unprecedented effort to allow our nation to emerge from this pandemic.”
Walgreens is supporting Operation Warp Speed, together with the CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and state and local governments, to administer vaccines as quickly as possible to Americans. COVID-19 vaccines are not available to the general population at this time. The company will continue to follow federal and state guidance for future allocation and prioritization of vaccinations.
Since the onset of the pandemic, Walgreens has helped accelerate the availability of COVID tests, ensured access to essential medicines and products, ramped up the company’s annual flu immunization program, and served as a safe and trusted source of information and resources. Walgreens pharmacy team members have conducted approximately 150,000 off-site visits since 2015 and more than 70 million vaccinations over the last decade. With more than 9,000 store locations across the nation, Walgreens pharmacy team members are embedded in their communities and will travel to long-term care facilities to administer COVID-19 vaccines. They will continue to play a critical role in education and immunizations as vaccines become available more broadly in 2021.
For more information about Walgreens COVID-19 response efforts, please visit the resource center at Walgreens.com.
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About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), a global leader in retail and wholesale pharmacy. As America’s most loved pharmacy, health and beauty company, Walgreens purpose is to champion the health and well-being of every community in America. Operating more than 9,000 retail locations across America, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Walgreens is proud to be a neighborhood health destination serving approximately 8 million customers each day. Walgreens pharmacists play a critical role in the U.S. healthcare system by providing a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services. To best meet the needs of customers and patients, Walgreens offers a true omnichannel experience, with platforms bringing together physical and digital, supported by the latest technology to deliver high-quality products and services in local communities nationwide.
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Rebekah Pajak
Walgreens Media Relations
media@walgreens.com