DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. is the latest chain drug retailer to assure customers that the shingles vaccine is available at its pharmacies.
Walgreens said Monday that it has expanded its availability of Zostavax and is now offering shingles vaccinations daily at more than 2,000 of its drug stores and Take Care health clinics.
The drug chain noted that it announced its availability of the shingles immunization amid widespread media reports that Zostavax is in short supply from some health care providers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends Zostavax for those over the age of 60 to help reduce the risk of shingles (herpes zoster), a painful nerve disease that afflicts more than 1 million Americans each year, primarily those age 50 and older.
"Our pharmacists, Take Care Clinic nurse practitioners and other health care professionals have been instrumental in creating a growing awareness of the benefits of the shingles vaccine and in educating the public on why it’s particularly important for those over 60," stated Kermit Crawford, Walgreens’ president of pharmacy services. "Walgreens network of more than 26,000 certified immunizers has demonstrated our unique capabilities to provide a wide range of CDC-recommended vaccinations when it’s most convenient for our patients."
Late last week, in response to reports of a Zostavax shortage, Rite Aid Corp. announced that nearly 1,900 of its pharmacies have the vaccine in stock, and food and drug retailer Supervalu Inc. said it continues to offer shingles immunizations at select in-store pharmacies under its roster of supermarket banners.
