SALT LAKE CITY – Smith’s Food and Drug Stores in Utah will be ready to administer the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is widely available. Smith’s parent company Kroger announced on Tuesday that it will work with state and federal health departments to provide the vaccine to residents of Utah and across the country.
“Our team of healthcare professionals is actively preparing for the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Aubriana Martindale, Smith’s Corporate Affairs Manager.
In a statement, Kroger said it would carry the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccine and that the company will follow the federal rollout plan. However, it’s unclear when Smith’s will stock the vaccine. Martindale told KSL NewsRadio that Smith hopes to have the vaccine, “as soon as possible.”
Martindale said Kroger will only administer an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. Once the vaccine is available, it will be accessible at all Smith locations around the state.
Currently, only the Pfizer-BioTech COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the FDA for emergency use. Although the FDA reported that the Moderna shot was 94.1% effective, it still has not approved the vaccine.
Smith is uniquely qualified to provide the COVID-19 vaccine
Kroger says it is uniquely qualified to administer the vaccine due to its widespread presence in communities in the US.
“At Smith’s, we are committed to helping people live healthier lives. We have been diligently doing our part in the community to stop the spread of the virus, including by partnering with city and county health departments to promote COVID. -19 for free to drive through.
In Utah, Smith teamed up with the Governor’s Office and the Utah Department of Health to host a one-day COVID-19 testing site at the Maverik Center.
In addition, Smith’s offers a $ 25 rapid antibody test at all Utah Smith locations with pharmacies. Antibody results are usually available within 15 minutes.