How CVS and different retailers are handing out extra doses of Covid vaccine

A health care worker wearing a protective mask fills a syringe with a dose of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a large-scale vaccination site in Sacramento, Calif., On February 4, 2021.

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

As the Covid-19 vaccination efforts begin at major retailers and pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, what to do with excess vaccine becomes a bigger question.

Both versions of the vaccine must be stored at very low temperatures. Once thawed, the vaccine must be administered within hours. In addition, vaccine bottles contain multiple doses.

The companies told the Wall Street Journal that they are planning to use waiting lists and will consider vaccinating employees who are eligible when excess supplies become available. The aim is not to waste any doses that are still tight.

Starting Thursday, vaccine doses will be sent to thousands of pharmacies and grocery stores such as CVS and Walmart across the US. This move will begin with approximately 6,500 retail locations and will help accelerate adoption and ensure more Americans are protected from Covid-19.

The companies schedule appointments based on the amount of vaccine they receive at each location. However, you could get an excess vaccine if customers don’t show up for an appointment or if a vaccine bottle contains more vaccine than expected.

Currently, only two vaccines, one from Pfizer-BioNTech and one from Moderna, have received emergency use approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Both types require two doses of the shot to take effect.

Retailers must adhere to different state and local rules for licensing requirements when managing waiting lists and what to do with excess doses. In some states, retail workers qualify for the vaccine, while in other states they are not considered a high priority group unless they are over a certain age or have a specific illness.

A Walmart spokeswoman told the newspaper that the retailer has reached out to buyers or workers who qualify under a state’s guidelines to get vaccinated in the event of oversupply.

Walmart worked with state health departments on logs to avoid waste, a Walmart spokesman told CNBC. These protocols allow the administration of excess opened and available doses to individuals, including employees, who fall under authorized groups in order of priority.

A Walgreens spokesman told CNBC that they will consider their staff for the remaining doses and will communicate with state and local jurisdictions about any excess doses.

In the meantime, CVS pharmacists will keep a list of qualified patients by state and use that list to determine who will receive the remaining doses of the vaccine, CVS Health senior vice president Chris Cox told CNBC.

Read the full story in the Wall Street Journal.