Federal and state officials are using regional and supermarket-based pharmacies to accelerate the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines amid a slower-than-planned rollout.
Rite Aid Corp., Kroger Co., Stop & Shop Supermarket LLC and other retailers are being asked to intervene and provide vaccinations to frontline workers and other vulnerable people. While the timeline is weeks ahead of schedule, companies say they hope to test and fix protocols before distributing vaccines to the masses.
“We get calls just because we need them,” said Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger’s healthcare company. Officials from South Carolina and Georgia contacted Kroger this week, and the company took photos of health care professionals in its stores and sent personnel to long-term facilities in Alaska, West Virginia, Texas and Arkansas.
Executives at Kroger and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., two of the largest retailers involved in the vaccination effort, expressed frustration at what they said the rollout was slower than necessary due to delays at the state and federal levels.
Kroger is also exploring ways to hold major events in community centers and stadiums that would allow it to vaccinate 600 to 800 people at a time, Ms. Lindholz said. She added that the country’s largest grocer could immunize a huge number of people if it had more access to vaccinations.