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Meijer readies for mass COVID-19 vaccine event

Tens of thousands register for on-site clinics at Detroit’s Ford Field

Russell Redman

March 17, 2021

4 Min Read
Ford Field-Detroit.jpg
In less than 24 hours, Meijer registered over 35,000 people after opening enrollment for COVID-19 immunization clinics at Ford Field. The rate of registrations rose by 2,000 per hour the next day.Ford Field

Meijer is seeing rising momentum for COVID-19 vaccinations as the nation’s supply of vaccines continues to build.

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based supercenter retailer said it registered over 35,000 people in less than 24 hours after opening enrollment for a federally run, mass COVID-19 immunization clinic starting next week at Ford Field stadium, home of the Detroit Lions pro football team.

Meijer said its goal is to register, schedule and submit data for 5,000 vaccinations per day at the Ford Field event, which kicks off on March 24. The retailer's online registration launched just after 4 p.m. on Monday and immediately drew an “extremely high volume” of people looking to sign up for a COVID shot, and the registry grew by 2,000 people per hour yesterday. 

Since launching its coronavirus vaccine registry in January, Meijer has enrolled more than 1.7 million people across its Midwestern market area.

“Our stores and pharmacies have played a pivotal role throughout the pandemic, helping customers at the store, building an online vaccine registry and administering more than 201,000 doses to Michiganders so far,” Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said in a statement. “I couldn't be prouder of our quick response, but the work isn’t done. We’re excited to bring that technology, and our expert teams, to Ford Field to support the state of Michigan and FEMA in this critical endeavor.”

Related:Meijer, Publix ready COVID-19 vaccinations for teachers

Meijer store-COVID vaccine clinic-patient-pharmacist.jpg

So far, Meijer has conducted more than 2,060 in-store and off-site, through which it has administered 309,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

In addition to Meijer’s COVID vaccine website, people who want to register for free vaccinations at upcoming clinics can text “EndCovid” to 75049 and select Ford Field as the location. Invitations to the clinics will be sent directly to registrants later this week. The retailer noted that it will send out invitations based on the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to vaccinate people most vulnerable in Detroit — Michigan’s hardest-hit city during the pandemic — as well as in Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties. People also can register by calling the state health department hotline at 888-535-6136.

Meijer said it will manage the check-in process for those getting COVID-19 vaccines at Ford Field and provide on-site pharmacists for clinical reviews and vaccine security and stability. The retailer also plans to deploy IT development teams and infrastructure, coordinate data submission to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry and preserve patient immunization records. Published reports said state officials expect to administer about 250,000 doses during the eight weeks that the high-volume vaccination site will be open. Earlier this month, Meijer held a two-day COVID vaccine clinic at Ford Field for Michigan teachers and other school staff.

Related:Meijer aims to provide 17,000 COVID-19 shots this week in Indiana

“Meijer cares about the communities we serve, and our teams have come together with such sincerity to lend a hand during this challenging time,” Keyes added. "Through this continued partnership at the state and federal level, we’re able to keep doing our part to help finally put an end to this pandemic.”

In January, Meijer was named as a federal retail pharmacy partner for COVID vaccinations in Michigan and has since been named as a partner in Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio. Soon after, in February, the company administered 25,000 doses of the vaccine in a series of clinics at stores in Michigan. That was followed up later in the month with another 17,000 doses administered in a round of more than 60 clinics at stores across Indiana and then more than 10,000 inoculations for teachers and school staff in a dozen clinics in the state.

Meijer reported that, to date, it has conducted more than 2,060 clinics — large and small — through which it has administered 309,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Overall, the chain operates 256 supercenters and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

President Joe Biden announced March 2 that the U.S. will have enough COVID-19 vaccinations for all adults by the end of May. His projection reflects an expected supply of 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and a combined 600 million doses of the two-shot Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. So far, those three vaccines were the only ones to receive Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization. Biden also has directed his administration to procure another 100 million J&J vaccines for the latter part of the year.

Through the morning of March 17, 22.2% of the U.S. population had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, with 12% fully immunized, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 113 million of the 147.6 million vaccines delivered by manufacturers have been administered.

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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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