Skowhegan, Maine – Pat and John Thomas were watching the news one night last week when they saw Walmart in this town in central Maine meeting 8,000 people for the Covid-19 vaccination. They had signed up for hospital admissions about a month ago, but still hadn’t heard anything. Mrs. Thomas, a 74-year-old pensioner, jumped on the computer.
On Friday, the couple received the first doses of the Skowhegan Walmart under a new federal government program that will deliver Covid-19 vaccines directly to pharmacies across the country.
“We will be able to see our family and friends,” said Ms. Thomas, a former assistant manager at a bank who has been married to her husband, a 78-year-old retired accountant for 48 years. “It will just be nice to be able to visit and go somewhere if you are not afraid.”
Walmart Inc., the US’s largest retailer and private employer, will become one of the largest distributors of the Covid-19 vaccine as the federal government engages retail pharmacies to accelerate the current choppy rollout.
Last week, 21 retail chains and pharmacy networks began administering those doses, including CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, and grocers in all 50 states. The government initially plans to give approximately one million doses per week directly to pharmacies. About 200,000 of those go to Walmart, a spokeswoman said.