Another drug store will soon be coming online to help provide COVID-19 vaccinations in New Jersey.
CVS is joining the effort. Its vaccine website will be live next week where people will be able to sign up for appointments to receive a vaccination.
The pharmacy has already been vaccinating the public in 10 other states. Thousands of doses of the Moderna vaccine will be distributed to 27 CVS pharmacies in New Jersey.
“This supply is coming directly from the federal government. And we have about 20,000 doses per week coming into the state of New Jersey,” says CVS COVID Task Force leader Christina Cacchioli.
Cacchioli says that the 20,000 doses are separate from the state’s 130,000-per week allocation.
The additional doses are part of the Biden administration’s Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and is seen as a major effort toward President Joe Biden’s plan to issue 100 million vaccinations in 100 days.
"Due to the current supply constraints, this will be limited when it begins next week. In this first phase of the program, supply will be at only about 6,500 stores nationwide before expanding,” says White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients.
It won’t be known which CVS locations in New Jersey will have the vaccine until the website to book appointments goes online. But CVS says that they are considering demographics and vulnerabilities within communities when deciding where the doses go.
"We want to make sure that we are available for every person in New Jersey, especially in neighborhoods where people might not be going out to get the vaccines as readily,” Cacchioli says.
Vaccines will be given out by appointment only, not walk-ins. Customers will be signed up for a second dose at the same time they're scheduled for a first.
CVS will be joining with Walgreens, Rite Aid and ShopRite as stores providing the vaccine in New Jersey.