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COVID-19

CVS and Walgreens Face Criticism for Slow Vaccine Rollout to Nursing Homes

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in nursing homes has been plagued by slow progress, with health officials and local authorities criticizing CVS and Walgreens, the two companies tasked with administering the vaccine. As of January 14, only a quarter of the 4.7 million doses allocated to the companies had been administered, with many health officials expressing frustration over the pace of the rollout. Despite the companies' claims to be on track to complete the first round of the two-phase vaccine by January 25, health officials in some states have described the process as a "fiasco." Meanwhile, states that opted out of the CVS-Walgreens partnership, such as West Virginia, have made faster progress in vaccinating nursing home residents, suggesting that the companies' near-monopoly on the vaccine distribution process has hindered their ability to work efficiently.

Key Takeaways:

  • As of January 14, only a quarter of the 4.7 million doses allocated to CVS and Walgreens had been administered, with many health officials expressing frustration over the pace of the rollout.
  • CVS and Walgreens claim to be on track to complete the first round of the two-phase vaccine by January 25, but health officials have described the process as a "fiasco."
  • States that opted out of the CVS-Walgreens partnership, such as West Virginia, have made faster progress in vaccinating nursing home residents, administering over 24,000 shots as of January 6.
  • Prof. Tinglong Dai, an operations specialist at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, notes that the near-monopoly that CVS and Walgreens have gives them little reason to work faster, and that smaller pharmacies in West Virginia have been able to make faster progress due to their strong ties to the local community.
  • President-elect Joe Biden announced increased federal support for the vaccine process on January 15, citing the need to accelerate the rollout and ensure that everyone has access to a vaccine.
  • CVS and Walgreens have welcomed the increased federal support, with incoming president Karen Lynch stating that the federal assistance will enable the company to administer more than 1 million shots per day.

Statistics:

  • 4.7 million: the number of doses allocated to CVS and Walgreens for the vaccine rollout in nursing homes as of January 14.
  • 1 million: the number of shots administered by CVS as of January 15, according to incoming president Karen Lynch.
  • 1.7 million: the total number of shots administered by CVS and Walgreens combined as of January 16, according to The New York Times.
  • 24,000: the number of shots administered by pharmacies in West Virginia as of January 6, according to The Conversation.
  • 1 million: the number of shots per day that CVS aims to administer with the increased federal support, according to incoming president Karen Lynch.

Sources:

  • https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/15/health/pharmacies-nursing-homes-covid-19-vaccines-kaiser-khn/index.html
  • https://theconversation.com/the-simple-reason-west-virginia-leads-the-nation-in-vaccinating-nursing-home-residents-153274
  • https://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-us-vaccine-rollout-is-a-disaster-what-next-2021-1
  • https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/10/16/trump-administration-partners-cvs-walgreens-provide-covid-19-vaccine-protect-vulnerable-americans-long-term-care-facilities-nationwide.html
  • https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/inside-the-slow-rollout-of-covid-19-vaccines-in-washington-state/
  • https://www.npr.org/2021/01/05/953471915/states-struggle-to-administer-their-doses-of-covid-19-vaccines
  • https://apnews.com/article/politics-pandemics-west-virginia-coronavirus-pandemic-2e682c51172839a57ab17ca2b7b8d336
  • https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/01/07/954409347/why-west-virginiars-winning-the-race-to-get-covid-19-vaccine-into-arms
  • https://buildbackbetter.gov/speeches/remarks-as-prepared-for-delivery-by-president-elect-joe-biden-on-the-covid-19-vaccine-plan-in-wilmington-delaware/
  • https://news.walgreens.com/press-releases/general-news/walgreens-statement-in-support-of-president-elect-bidens-covid-19-update.htm

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