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Rite Aid has apologized to two undocumented immigrants after stores in Southern California refused COVID-19 vaccines.
“In such an unprecedented deployment, there will be flaws and there will always be areas where suppliers can improve – we are looking for those opportunities every day,” Rite Aid said in a statement to FOX Business.
The retail pharmacy has confirmed that both women have since received their first dose after initially saying they would not be able to vaccinate earlier this month.
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According to KABC, one of the undocumented women, a mother in San Fernando Valley, was turned away from a Rite Aid in Mission Hills after showing off her foreign credentials. Meanwhile, another woman in South Orange County was denied her COVID-19 vaccination twice on the same day at Rite Aid in Laguna Niguel last week.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | Alter | Alter% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COUNCIL | RITEHULP | 24.19 | -1.14 | -4,50% |
The son of one of the women, Sebastian Araujo, went to social media after the incident on March 14 and said he was “terrified” about the situation and that his mother was sobbing.
“[Rite Aid] asked for her social security and the woman at the front insisted that they not vaccinate people who were UNDOCUMENTED. my mother literally sobbed and I was literally shocked, ‘tweeted Araujo.
The company told FOX Business that these two bugs were ‘isolated incidents’ and that they were looking for opportunities to improve.
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According to the company, the store staff and its regional teams have been re-trained on the policy of not turning anyone away.
“In a case where a customer does not have identification, we advise our employees not to turn the customer away,” Rite Aid said.
Rite Aid is also conducting a “thorough investigation into this incident,” the company said.