COVID-19 Booster Shots Now Available at Walmart and Hy-Vee Pharmacies

Strategic Insights -

Walmart and Midwestern grocer Hy-Vee have started offering COVID-19 booster shots from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed their use. According to Dr. John Wig, Walmart's chief medical officer, the company has authorized Walmart U.S. and Sam's Club pharmacies to administer boosters for the Moderna and J&J (Janssen) vaccines. Hy-Vee has also announced the availability of free Moderna and J&J booster doses at its pharmacy locations across its eight-state region.

Key Takeaways:

  • Walmart has authorized its pharmacies to administer boosters for the Moderna and J&J (Janssen) vaccines, while Hy-Vee is offering free booster doses at its pharmacy locations across its eight-state region.
  • The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine booster received FDA and CDC approval in September, while Moderna's and Pfizer's vaccinations have the same eligibility requirements for their boosters.
  • Moderna's and Pfizer's booster shots can be administered starting at least six months after the second dose, while the J&J COVID-19 vaccine requires one shot, with its booster available two months after the initial vaccination.
  • The CDC has found booster shots to be effective in "boosting" the initial protections from COVID-19 vaccines, especially in at-risk populations.
  • Heterologous - or "mix and match" - use of the Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J boosters with each provider's primary COVID vaccine is now approved, as long as consumers have completed their primary vaccinations.
  • Hy-Vee is offering $10 store gift cards to patients who complete their COVID-19 vaccination, including those who receive booster doses.
  • Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock emphasized that vaccination continues to be the safest and most effective way to prevent COVID-19, citing the available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated.

Statistics:

  • Over 400 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the United States.
  • More than 65 million Americans remain unvaccinated.
  • The CDC reports that all three COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States are safe and highly effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death.

Sources:

  • "Walmart Beginning to Administer COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots" by Dr. John Wig (Walmart blog)
  • Hy-Vee Press Release (dated October 12, 2022)
  • Statement from Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock (FDA Press Release)
  • Statement from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky (CDC Press Release)
  • "COVID-19 Vaccines and Boosters: What You Need to Know" (CDC Website)
  • "FDA Approves Booster Shots for Moderna and J&J COVID-19 Vaccines" (FDA Press Release)