CVS, Walgreens wasted more coronavirus vaccine than most states combined
Records also show the CDC has a limited view of how much COVID-19 vaccine is being wasted and where itâs happening.
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A dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is administered at Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center in Plant City on March 26. Colectivo ARBOL organized the event with Walgreens to make the vaccine accessible for Hispanic farm workers. Records reviewed by Kaiser Health News found that 21 percent of wasted vaccines came from Walgreens and nearly half from CVS. [ IVY CEBALLO ]
By Kaiser Health News
Updated 3 hours ago
Two national pharmacy chains that the federal government entrusted to inoculate people against COVID-19 account for the lionâs share of wasted vaccine doses, according to government data obtained by Kaiser Health News.
CVS, Walgreens Wasted More Vaccine Than Many States
By Joshua Eaton and Rachana Pradhan
Monday, May 03, 2021 (Kaiser News) Two national pharmacy chains that the federal government entrusted to inoculate people against covid-19 account for the lion’s share of wasted vaccine doses, according to government data obtained by KHN.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 182,874 wasted doses as of late March, three months into the country’s effort to vaccinate the masses against the coronavirus. Of those, CVS was responsible for nearly half, and Walgreens for 21%, or nearly 128,500 wasted shots combined.
CDC data suggests that the companies have wasted more doses than states, U.S. territories and federal agencies combined. Pfizer’s vaccine, which in December was the first to be deployed and initially required storage at ultracold temperatures, represented nearly 60% of tossed doses.
CVS, Walgreens waste more COVID vaccine than most states combined, data shows
COVID-19 vaccines readily available across the nation
Replay Video Two national pharmacy chains that the federal government entrusted to inoculate people against COVID-19 account for the lion’s share of wasted vaccine doses, according to government data obtained by KHN. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 182,874 wasted doses as of late March, three months into the country’s effort to vaccinate the masses against the coronavirus. Of those, CVS was responsible for nearly half, and Walgreens for 21%, or nearly 128,500 wasted shots combined. CDC data suggests that the companies have wasted more doses than states, U.S. territories and federal agencies combined. Pfizer’s vaccine, which in December was the first to be deployed and initially required storage at ultracold temperatures, represented nearly 60% of tossed doses.
Report: CVS and Walgreens wasted more vaccine doses than most states combined
The CDC told Kaiser Health News that the losses were to be expected with this size of a vaccination campaign. Author: Douglas Jones Updated: 9:03 AM PDT May 3, 2021
WASHINGTON During the first three months of the COVID-19 mass vaccination effort, two national pharmacy chains were responsible for a large chunk of the country s reported wasted vaccine doses, according to government data obtained by Kaiser Health News.
The data, obtained by KHN, showed that the Centers for Disease Control recorded at least 182,874 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were wasted in total as of late March.