CVS Health to complete long-term care COVID-19 vaccination effort in Texas, New Mexico

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The pharmacy company, CVS Health, has completed administering the first round of COVID-19 vaccine doses to skilled nursing facilities and long-term care facilities in New Mexico and on the way to being completed in Texas, announced the company Wednesday.

It expects to have about 2,125 facilities it partnered with, in both states, fully vaccinated with the second dose within four weeks, a release stated.

The federal pharmacy partnership program relies on the giant CVS and Walgreens pharmacy chains to deliver vaccines to nursing homes.

CVS Health partnered with about 2,000 long-term care facilities across the state of Texas. Since the state authorized the program to begin on December 28, it completed administering the first doses for all 581 skilled-nursing facilities, with second doses underway. Over the coming week, CVS Health expects to finish administering the first doses for all the 1,431 assisted-living and other long-term care facilities it worked with.

In New Mexico, CVS Health is working with about 125 long-term care facilities across the state since the state authorized the program last month. All 40 skilled-nursing facilities have received the first doses, with 30 percent of second doses already complete. The company announced its finished administering the first doses for all the 87 assisted-living and other long-term care facilities, with second doses underway.

Across the country, CVS Health administered the first round of COVID-19 vaccine doses to nearly 8,000 skilled nursing facilities.

The federal pharmacy partnership program divided long-term care facilities into two categories; skilled nursing and assisted living and other facilities.

New Mexico began its vaccination process using CVS Health in December 2020 before Texas.

Through a federal partnership, COVID-19 vaccines will eventually be available at CVS Pharmacy locations across the country subject to product availability and prioritization of populations. Vaccines in a retail setting will be offered on an appointment-only basis via CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app, and people without online access can contact customer service.

CVS Pharmacy has the capacity to administer 20 – 25 million shots per month.

“Our impact at retail will be significant given our presence in communities across the country and more than 90,000 pharmacists, licensed pharmacy technicians, and nurses who will proudly take part in the vaccination effort,” Karen S. Lynch, currently Executive Vice President, CVS Health and President, Aetna, who will become the company's next President and CEO on February 1, said.

For the latest updates on COVID-19 in our area and around the world, head to our coronavirus section.

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