Get COVID-19 Vaccine at Walgreens
New federal program will add to state's vaccine supply, should expand access.
A federal program intended to increase access to the COVID-19 vaccine by delivering it directly to retail pharmacies launched this week.
The program, aptly called the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, is also increasing the number of doses that are provided to states each week.
The biggest challenge that officials in public health and elected office have pointed to for weeks is the strained supply of vaccine. State officials have maintained that the infrastructure to increase vaccination is in place and that it all comes down to vaccine supply.
Recently, after vaccine manufacturing capacity improved slightly, the federal government bumped up the weekly doses for the state to nearly 89,000. The state also recently became one of the best performing vaccinators in the country, administering the most vaccines per 100 people of any state. As of Tuesday, approximately 3% of the state’s population had been fully vaccinated.
In a statement announcing the start of the new retail pharmacy program, Governor Tony Evers said, “It’s true that we’re getting more shots in arms, but the vaccine is still a scarce resource.”
The plan, DHS said, is for the retail pharmacy program to “start small and expand as vaccine supply increases.”
The state is still in its first phase of vaccination, which means frontline health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities are eligible for the vaccine. Though, it has also been opened up to residents aged 65 or older and fire, police and corrections personnel.
President Joe Biden recently announced new purchases of vaccine doses that should produce a speedier vaccination timeline. On Thursday, the Biden administration placed orders for 100 million doses of Pfizer vaccine and 100 million doses of Moderna.
“That means we’re now on track to have enough supply for 300 million Americans by the end of July,” he said speaking to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
The president also said 100 million doses that were expected by the end of June have been expedited and will arrive by the end of May. “That’s a month faster. That means lives will be saved.”
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More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- DHS Updates COVID-19 Illness After Vaccination Page to Include Data by Booster Dose Status - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - May 26th, 2022
- WI Health Department Urges Booster Shots for Ages 5 to 11 - Erik Gunn - May 24th, 2022
- DHS Recommends COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Doses to Everyone 5 and Older - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - May 23rd, 2022
- MKE County: COVID-19 Cases Rising Again - Graham Kilmer - May 20th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Weekly COVID-19 Update - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - May 20th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Mask Advisory - City of Milwaukee Health Department - May 20th, 2022
- State’s COVID-19 Cases Up 66% in May - Erik Gunn - May 17th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Weekly COVID-19 Update - City of Milwaukee Health Department - May 13th, 2022
- DHS Announces the Moving Forward Together Grant Program to Support Health Equity Efforts in COVID-19 Vaccinations - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - May 12th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Weekly COVID-19 Update - City of Milwaukee Health Department - May 6th, 2022
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