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Meijer expands COVID-19 vaccinations to all stores

Additional vaccine sites come with expansion of Federal Retail Pharmacy Program

Russell Redman

March 29, 2021

3 Min Read
Meijer_pharmacy_COVID_vaccine_clinic.jpg
Meijer said it will be able to provide 150,000 doses this week through clinics at stores and off-site.Meijer

Supercenter retailer Meijer can now provide COVID-19 vaccines at all of its 256 stores in its six-state Midwestern trade area.

Meijer said Monday that it has become a national partner in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination in Wisconsin, Illinois and Kentucky. In February, when President Joe Biden announced the program — which distributes coronavirus immunizations directly to pharmacies — Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer was a partner only in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.

With the expansion, Meijer said it will be able to administer 150,000 doses this week through clinics held at each of its stores and at off-site clinics. This week alone, the retailer will conduct more than 950 clinics — large and small scale — at its stores, in addition to supporting FEMA in mass vaccination clinics at Ford Field in Detroit and at numerous off-site clinics with other partners, the company reported.

“Our stores and pharmacies continue playing an integral role in supporting their communities across the Midwest during this challenging time,” Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said in a statement. “Whether our team members and pharmacists are working with local organizations, coordinating off-site events or hosting large in-store clinics, we’re proud to continue our efforts as a federal retail pharmacy partner in the states of Wisconsin, Illinois and Kentucky as we expand access to these critical vaccines and defeat this pandemic.”

Related:Hy-Vee gears up for its biggest COVID-19 vaccine clinic yet

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Meijer's pharmacy team is supporting FEMA in ongoing mass vaccination clinics at Ford Field in Detroit.

Through its online reservation website at clinic.meijer.com, Meijer has registered more than 2 million people to receive COVID vaccines since the system was launched in January. People also can schedule an appointment by texting “COVID” to 75049, and they will receive a link to register.

Meijer reported that, to date, it has held more than 3,000 vaccine clinics and administered 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

“Our pharmacy teams have been working diligently to vaccinate as many people as possible since doses have become available,” commented Jason Beauch, vice president of pharmacy at Meijer. “Expanding the partnership with the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program makes our job even easier because now we’ll be able to reach even more people interested in receiving this vaccine.”

Expanding federal pharmacy program

On Monday, the White House announced that the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program is expanding its number of participating pharmacy locations from 17,000 to nearly 40,000 — including 45% currently in the highest-need neighborhoods — and that another dozen mass vaccination sites will be in operation by April 19. Twenty-one of the federally run site already have been launched around the country, with the capacity to administer a total of 79,000 shots per day. In addition, 31 states have said they will open up eligibility to all adults by April 19, which means that 90% of all U.S. adults will be eligible for vaccination in three weeks, the White House noted.

Related:Supermarket pharmacies do their part in COVID-19 vaccination push

“Our nation’s pharmacies are uniquely situated to turn vaccine doses into vaccination appointments — efficiently, equitably and conveniently,” stated Steve Anderson, president and CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, for which Meijer’s Keyes is chairman. “We appreciate President Biden’s leadership and historic announcement today that the administration is more than doubling the number of pharmacies in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program from 17,000 to nearly 40,000. With a sufficient vaccine allocation, the American people can benefit fully from the fact that 90% of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy.”

Through the morning of March 29, 28.6% of the U.S. population had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, and 15.8% had been fully vaccinated, with 145.8 million vaccines administered of the 180.6 million delivered by manufacturers, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.

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About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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