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CVS, Walgreens could administer COVID-19 vaccines in long-term care facilities by mid-December

CVS, Walgreens could administer COVID vaccines in long-term care facilities by mid-December
Posted at 8:56 PM, Nov 30, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-01 11:01:37-05

CVS and Walgreens are gearing up to give coronavirus vaccines - in long-term care facilities, not retail stores - once the FDA approves one for emergency use.

According to CNN, CVS would administer the shots by mid-December, and Walgreens plans to start distributing within days of receiving them.

In October, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced agreements with both companies to give vaccinations to long-term care facility residents nationwide with no out-of-pocket costs.

According to the HHS, both companies will schedule and coordinate on-site clinic date(s) directly with each facility.

The HHS said that residents and staff would likely need three total visits over two months to be given both vaccine doses.

"CVS Health has been on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19, working across the health care spectrum in all the communities we serve, and that will continue to be the case when we have a vaccine to dispense," said Troy Brennan, Chief Medical Officer, CVS Health in a press release.

On Tuesday, the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices is having an emergency meeting, which will take place from 2-5 p.m. ET, to vote on who they recommend should be the first in the U.S. to get vaccinated once one is authorized.