BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is on the list of a list of retailers that will be administering COVID-19 vaccines in their pharmacies through a federal program.

Amanda Jenkins, vice president, Health & Wellness Operations, Walmart U.S. issued the following blog post on the retailer’s role in the program:

“This morning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared information on the U.S. Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. Through this partnership, Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies can now accept and administer federal allocations of the COVID-19 vaccine. Walmart and Sam’s Club are working with the federal government to help increase access to COVID-19 vaccines at select pharmacies in 22 states once vaccine doses are available, starting late next week.

Once our locations have received the vaccines, eligible customers and members can reserve a convenient vaccine appointment directly via a scheduling tool on the Walmart and Sam’s Club websites, while allocation lasts. In addition to appointments, the scheduler will provide a digital reminder when it’s time to return for the second dose of the vaccine in order for the vaccine to be fully effective.

What does this mean? 
Our pharmacies will be receiving limited allocation from the federal government, but not until next week at the earliest. Once a store or club receives allocation, our online scheduler will be available to make appointments at walmart.com/COVIDvaccine and samsclub.com/covid. Eligibility will be determined by the states for who can receive the vaccine, and we will follow their guidance.

How many doses will Walmart receive?
Walmart is receiving allocation from the federal government, but supply is still limited. We will schedule appointments based on how many doses we receive. Appointments will increase once additional doses become available.

In which 22 states will Walmart be a federal pharmacy partner?
Once we receive allocation from the federal government, we will be administering the vaccine in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Louisiana and Wyoming. We also have agreements in place with local governments and are administering vaccines in partnership with state, territory and district jurisdictions. We are currently vaccinating in Arkansas, Chicago, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming and Virginia.

Walmart is proud to be selected by both CDC and state governments based on a number of factors, including our ability to reach specific populations that are at risk of experiencing severe illness from COVID-19. Ninety percent of the country lives within 10 miles of a Walmart, and we can make a real difference in our communities by partnering with state and local governments to improve access to the vaccine.

We know that achieving widespread COVID-19 vaccination is how we will eventually end this pandemic, and we are ready to serve our communites, customers and associates as we work towards this goal. Our pharmacies will continue to support states and the federal government to help increase the accessibility and availability of COVID-19 vaccines for Americans across the country,” she concluded.