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DEERFIELD, Ill. — Following FDA approval on the updated COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, individuals can schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments at Walgreens pharmacies nationwide within 24 hours, with availability beginning September 6 and inventory arriving in the coming days. This comes on the heels of what may be the largest summer wave of the virus since July 2022.
Walgreens pharmacists are available to help patients navigate the latest vaccination guidance including administration of multiple recommended vaccines or optimal timing of vaccinations.
The chain said it will continue to share regular updates from Walgreens, breaking down the latest data from their respiratory indices, health tips, and providing clinical expert perspectives. The FDA approval and CDC’s decision to recommend the new vaccine comes as the Walgreens Respiratory Index reports a national COVID-19 positivity rate of 37% as of August 20.
Across the country, 15 states saw increases in positivity rates compared to last week, with California (42.9% positivity), Colorado (43.8% positivity), New Jersey (34.5% positivity) Ohio (45.6% positivity), and Wisconsin (40.9%) among the top states on the list.
The Walgreens Respiratory Index® (previously known as the Walgreens COVID-19 index) shows the surveillance of multiple respiratory viruses at the same time nationwide and provides the treatment in select locations. This innovative tool helps communities, health professionals and the media stay informed about respiratory virus surveillance.
“We’re enhancing our pharmacy services, including immunizations, to protect more patients through an improved experience and enhanced digital solutions. In store, we’re implementing digital check-in, allowing patients to use a QR code to check in for their vaccine and free up pharmacists’ availabilities," said Rick Gates, Walgreens Chief Pharmacy Officer. "We’ve also improved our appointment scheduler to help both our immunizing team members and patients schedule and manage their vaccine and testing appointments via one platform. As we see an uptick in COVID-19 and flu cases, we will continue to update Walgreens.com and our app with real-time appointment availability so patients have accurate information.”
“Vaccination is the number one way you can protect against respiratory illnesses. We know immunizations can often fall off the to-do list, but it’s important for everyone to take the time to get all recommended vaccines this fall. Our Walgreens pharmacists can provide additional guidance on which vaccines are right for each individual this season and optimal timing, including whether to consider co-administration,” added Samantha Picking, Walgreens Director of Immunizations.
