CVS Health announced Thursday that it will begin administering the coronavirus vaccine at 119 additional pharmacy locations in California, including in five Bay Area counties, beginning Sunday.
The additional retail outlets contribute to the 167 stores in the state that are already administering the vaccine, which according to CVS Health stands at 286. Appointments start to be available on Saturday, depending on when each store receives the vaccination.
In the Bay, coronavirus vaccines will be available via CVS in the provinces of Alameda, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma. CVS Health said it will expand to more communities in California as more inventory becomes available.
CVS said it would not provide a list of stores in the Bay Area to prevent places from being overwhelmed by people seeking a vaccine without an appointment, a spokesman said. Customers will be able to look up specific stores on CVS.com as stores receive vaccines and make appointments.
Target recently announced a partnership with the pharmaceutical company to offer coronavirus vaccines at 600 CVS sites in Target stores in 17 states, including California. The establishment rooms in some stores will be converted into host rooms for vaccination.
California currently prioritizes health care workers, long-term care residents and staff, people 65 and older, educators and child care workers, food and agriculture workers, and first responders.
In early March, President Biden’s administration announced that all members of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program would prioritize vaccinations for K-12 educators and child care workers. According to CVS Health, these groups have accounted for more than 30% of all vaccine appointments since March 3.
Appointments to receive the vaccine can be made online or via the CVS Pharmacy app. Customers can also call 800-746-7287.
Vanessa Arredondo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @v_anana