Companies will work with Trump Administration.

WASHINGTON — CVS Health and Walgreens will work with the White House to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to long-term care facilities throughout the country when the vaccine becomes available, the two companies announced Friday.

“Protecting the vulnerable has been the No. 1 priority of the Trump Administration’s response to COVID-19, and that commitment will continue through distributing a safe and effective vaccine earliest to those who need it most,” said Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar. “Our unprecedented public-private partnership with CVS and Walgreens will provide convenient and free vaccination to residents of nursing homes across America, another historic achievement in our efforts to get a safe and effective vaccine to Americans as fast as possible.”

“CVS Health has been on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, working across the health care spectrum in all the communities we serve and that will continue to be the case when we have a vaccine to administer,” said Dr. Troyen Brennan, chief medical officer, CVS Health. “Our nation’s elderly living in long-term care facilities are one of the most vulnerable populations. With early access to a vaccination, we can help keep them, and the staff caring for them, healthy and safe.”

Larry Merlo

From the early days of the pandemic, CVS Health quickly mobilized its colleagues and resources to offer the first large-scale COVID-19 testing sites in the country and have now administered more than five million COVID tests.

“CVS Health is already providing 70% of the testing done in a retail setting through its test sites at 3,700 of its drive thru pharmacies,” said Larry Merlo, president and CEO, CVS Health. “Our community test sites are there for underserved communities and provide testing for long-term care facilities. At the same time, we’re helping America get back to work by offering testing directly through employers. Moving forward we’ll have the capacity to administer approximately four million COVID-19 tests per month to meet the nation’s needs ahead of a vaccine approval.”

CVS Health has the experience and expertise to play a vital role in the COVID-19 vaccination effort. The company has already administered more than nine million flu shots in 2020 and is well on its way to administering nearly 20 million by year’s end.

“We’re confident the experience and expertise we’ve honed through our COVID-19 testing and flu vaccinations uniquely positions CVS Health to lead the way. Thanks to the tireless efforts of CVS Health employees, nearly 300,000 across all 50 states, we stand ready for what lies ahead,” said Merlo. “CVS Health is a diversified health services company and our role in combatting the pandemic demonstrates that our strategy and enterprise assets empowers us to play a unique role in addressing the needs of communities across the country.”

Walgreens issued a statement saying it is pleased to work with the Center for Disease Control, HHS and the Trump Administration as part of Operation Warp Speed to help administer COVID-19 vaccines to high priority groups, including long-term care facility residents and staff.

“Ensuring access to COVID-19 vaccines, particularly among our most vulnerable populations, will be critical to saving lives and helping our nation recover from the pandemic,” said company president John Standley. “Since the onset of the pandemic, Walgreens has worked closely with the CDC, HHS and the Administration to help accelerate the availability of COVID tests, ensure access to essential medicines and products and serve as a safe and trusted source of information in our communities. We are proud of how our pharmacists have continued to serve our patients and look forward to leveraging our nationwide footprint, community presence and pharmacist expertise to help administer COVID-19 vaccines, once they become available.”