Skowhegan, Maine – Pat and John Thomas watched the news one night last week when they saw Walmart in this downtown 8,000-person city of Maine making appointments for the vaccination against Covid-19. They reported for shots at a hospital about a month ago, but still have not heard of it. Me. Thomas, a 74-year-old retiree, jumps on the computer.
On Friday, the couple received the first doses of the Skowhegan Walmart under a new federal government program that supplies Covid-19 vaccines directly to retail pharmacies across the country.
“We will be able to see our family and friends,” she said. Thomas, a former assistant manager at a bank who has been married for 48 years to her husband, a 78-year-old retired accountant, said. “It would just be nice to visit and go somewhere if you are not afraid.”
Walmart Inc., the U.S. retailer and private employer, is set to become one of the largest distributors of the Covid-19 vaccine as the federal government calls in small pharmacies to accelerate a turbulent rollout.
Last week, 21 retail chains and pharmacy networks began administering the doses, including CVS, Walgreens, Kroger and groceries in all 50 countries. The government initially plans to give approximately one million doses per week directly to pharmacies. About 200,000 of those go to Walmart, a spokesman said.