Trump announces CVS, Walgreens free coronavirus vaccines deal to help seniors
LOS ANGELES - Two major pharmacies will help distribute a pending coronavirus vaccine to American seniors once it becomes available, the Trump administration announced on Friday.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a Twitter post that the public-private partnership with CVS Health and Walgreens would specifically help residents in nursing homes access free vaccinations.
Residents in all types of long-term care facilities will be able to access the vaccine at no charge.
CVS and Walgreens will coordinate on-site clinic dates with facilities, which will likely include three total visits over the course of two months.
A Nurse Practitioner, prepares a flu vaccination for a patient at the CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic on September 03, 2020 in Key Biscayne, Florida.
The White House has been looking into ways to help cover the cost of a potential vaccine for Medicare beneficiaries because the program does not cover drugs approved via emergency authorizations.
Medicare covers people aged 65 and over, and younger people with disabilities.
Pfizer announced on Friday that it could apply for emergency use – expecting safety results from its trials to be available in late-November.