Roanoke man previously denied second COVID-19 vaccine dose from CVS secures appointment
ROANOKE, Va. โ A Roanoke man denied an appointment from CVS for the second dose of his COVID-19 vaccine has finally gotten things cleared up. [READ MORE: CVS calls Roanoke man for first COVID vaccine dose, doesnโt guarantee his second dose]Jack Guilliams was pulled off a Virginia Department of Health waiting list for a COVID-19 vaccine by CVS staff two weeks ago. When trying to schedule his appointment for the second dose, he was told the pharmacy could not and would not guarantee it to him. She said, โThis is not what was supposed to happen.โโโEverybody should get a second dose scheduled when they get their first dose,โ explained the Virginia vaccine coordinator Dr. Danny Avula. In an emailed response Wednesday, Amy Thibault with CVS said:โTo help ensure that vaccine from the limited supply we receive is available for appointments, patients should use our online scheduler to make an appointment for their second vaccine dose.
CVS calls Roanoke man for first COVID vaccine dose, doesnโt guarantee his second dose
Despite falling into the age group for Phase 1b, he was placed on the waiting list through his local health department. โI was sitting at home last Wednesday and I got a phone call from CVS Pharmacy,โ explained Guilliams. โThe lady says, โWeโve got a COVID vaccine available, are you free to come in?โ I said, โYeah!โโAfter arriving at CVS, he was given the Moderna vaccine but wasnโt scheduled for a second dose. (When you book online you must book both first and second doses - similar to booking a round trip airline ticket). Guilliams fears this process will exceed the four-week window between first and second dose.
Blacksburg Pharmacy providing the COVID vaccine at a local level
While people across the country struggle to register for a vaccine dose at those large retailers, locally-owned Blacksburg Pharmacy has been vaccinating at least 100 people a week. The pharmacy gets a mix of its own orders of vaccine but also takes any doses the New River Health District may not be able to distribute. The pharmacy gets a mix of its own orders of vaccine but also takes any doses the New River Health District may not be able to distribute. โThat should allow that Health District to prioritize patients better, because if one store isnโt getting as much vaccine as another as you might leave a patient behind whoโs more eligible,โ Puckett said. Puckett said the pharmacy expects to start getting more doses next week.
CVS partnership โcriticalโ to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in Virginia
VIRGINIA โ Virginiaโs getting more shots in arms thanks to a new federal partnership between the CDC and pharmacies across the country. CVS plans to distribute 26,000 COVID-19 vaccines in the Commonwealth starting next week. โTheyโre critical to expanding our capabilities,โ said New River Valley Health District Director Dr. Noelle Bissell. But a CVS spokesperson said the company doesnโt have a list of exact stores getting vaccines. Starting Feb. 9, people can start making appointments either online, on the CVS Pharmacy App or by calling CVS customer service at 1-800-746-7287.
36 CVS stores will be administering coronavirus vaccines to eligible Virginians
You may soon be able to get your COVID-19 vaccine at your local CVS Pharmacy. Starting Feb. 12, CVS will start administering vaccines to eligible people at 36 locations throughout the Commonwealth. CVS plans to administer up to 26,000 vaccine doses at 36 Virginia stores covering the following 33 areas within Virginia:AbingdonAlexandriaArlingtonBedfordBlacksburgCharlottesvilleChathamChesapeakeDanvilleDublinFairfaxFredericksburgGainesvilleHamptonHarrisonburgLeesburgLynchburgMartinsvilleMechanicsvilleMidlothianNewport NewsNorfolkPortsmouthRichmondRoanokeRocky MountStaffordSuffolkVirginia BeachWarringtonWilliamsburgWinchesterWoodstock[Where are Virginiaโs coronavirus cases? The health departmentโs interactive map]Now, starting Feb. 11, people can start making appointments either online, on the CVS Pharmacy App or by calling CVS customer service at 1-800-746-7287. Please do not call CVS before Feb. 9 and try to make an appointment.
Biden boosting vaccine allotments, financing for virus costs
Starting next week, 1 million doses will be distributed to some 6,500 pharmacies across the country, the White House said. The administration is also boosting by 500,000 the weekly allocation of vaccines sent directly to states and territories for the coming weeks, up to 10.5 million. It is allowing state and local governments to receive additional federal dollars to cover previously incurred expenses relating to the pandemic. The number of participating pharmacies and the allocation of vaccines are expected to accelerate as drug makers increase production. The Biden administration has sought to increase certainty to state governments on their upcoming allocations to streamline deliveries and prevent stockpiling of second doses for the two-dose regimens.
Report: Many US nursing home staff decline first COVID shots
The CDC looked at more than 11,000 nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities that had at least one vaccination clinic between the middle of December and the middle of January. Data previously showed that people who work in nursing homes and long-term care facilities get flu vaccines at lower rates than other health-care workers. Surveys suggest that long-term care workers are skeptical the shots work and don't think viruses spread easily from them to the people they care for. The government tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering the shots to long-term care homes in nearly every state. Each vaccine requires two shots a few weeks apart, and CVS and Walgreens say they have wrapped up first-dose clinics in nursing homes.
'Little old West Virginia' sets pace on vaccine rollout
More shots have gone into peopleโs arms per capita across West Virginia than in any other state, with at least 7.4% of the population receiving the first of two shots, according to state data. โLittle old West Virginia, that was thought of for hundreds of years, you know, as a place where maybe we were backward or dark or dingy,โ Justice said last week. Instead, it turns out that โWest Virginia has been the diamond in the rough,โ Justice said on CBSโ "Face the Nation" on Sunday. The federal partnership involving both companies would have allowed Washington officials to dictate the terms of nursing home vaccinations, said Marty Wright, the head of the West Virginia Health Care Association, which represents health care companies. The governor wants in-person learning to resume at as many schools as possible by Tuesday, long before teachers will have received their second vaccine doses.
California hospitals discuss rationing care as virus surges
Plans for rationing care are not in place yet, but they need to be established because โthe worst is yet to come,โ said Los Angeles County's health services director, Dr. Christina Ghaly. Until then, four hospitals run by Los Angeles County are weighing what to do if they cannot treat everyone because of a shortage of beds or staffers. Some hospitals have canceled non-essential elective surgeries, such as hip replacements, that might take up beds that could soon be needed for COVID-19 patients. Scientists are working to determine whether the strain spreads more easily, said Moncef Slaoui, the chief science adviser for the U.S. governmentโs COVID-19 vaccine effort. Bill Lee on Sunday announced new social gathering restrictions while still refusing to implement a mask mandate despite pleas from front-line health care workers.
EXPLAINER: What to know about COVID-19 vaccination in the US
Dr. Michelle Chester draws the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York. Even with vaccination, you'll still need to take precautions, like wearing a mask and social distancing, health officials say. Once doses are widely available, people should be able to use an existing government website, www.vaccinefinder.org, to find COVID-19 shots. The panel also suggests avoiding getting other vaccinations for two weeks before and after a COVID-19 shot. COVID-19 vaccines canโt be mixed and matched, so if a second dose is needed, providers will be checking to make sure you get the right one.
Amazon opens online pharmacy, shaking up another industry
The retail colossus opened an online pharmacy Tuesday that allows customers to order medication or prescription refills, and have them delivered to their front door in a couple of days. All have upped online services and touted their abilities to deliver prescriptions and other goods as the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed more consumers to stay home. The company said its online pharmacy will offer commonly prescribed medications in the U.S., including creams, pills, as well as medications that need to stay refrigerated, like insulin. They can also get discounts at 50,000 physical pharmacies around the country at Costco, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and other stores. Two years ago, it spent $750 million to buy online pharmacy PillPack, which organizes medication in packets by what time and day they need to be taken.
Feds unveil plan to get coronavirus shots to nursing homes
Under the plan, trained staff from CVS and Walgreens will deliver the vaccines to each nursing home and administer shots. โWe are trying to eliminate all potential barriers to getting folks safe and effective vaccines,โ Mango said. The Trump administration's initial attempts to promote coronavirus testing in nursing homes and to ensure sufficient supplies of protective gear were hampered by missteps and led to widespread complaints from nursing home operators and advocates for older people. Vaccines will be on their way to nursing homes within 24 to 48 hours after the FDA approves their use, Mango said. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities will not be charged for the program.
CVS to open COVID-19 drive-thru test sites in Roanoke, Blacksburg
ROANOKE, Va. โ CVS plans to double its number of coronavirus drive-thru test sites across the country, and Blacksburg and Roanoke are among the 21 new Virginia locations opening this week. With most insurance or federal programs, self-swab tests are no cost to patients who meet the CDC criteria. Upon arriving at the appointment, patients will be provided with a test kit that has instructions, and a CVS employee will be there throughout the process. Currently, most test results will be available within two to three days. Click here for more information on CVS.
Hawaii to allow travelers to skip quarantine with virus test
David Ige said Wednesday that starting Oct. 15, travelers arriving from out of state may bypass a 14-day quarantine requirement if they test negative for COVID-19. Travelers will have to take the test within 72 hours before their flight arrives in the islands. Earlier this year Ige planned to start a pre-travel testing program on Aug. 1 only to have to postpone it as COVID-19 cases spiked on the U.S. mainland and in Hawaii. Hawaii leaders are hopeful that pre-travel testing will encourage people to return to a Hawaii in a way that keeps residents safe. โI want to emphasize that this pre-travel testing will allow us to add a greater element of safety for travel into our state,โ Ige said at a news conference.
Judge rejects pharmacy chains' bid to toss opioid suits
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)CLEVELAND Lawsuits filed by two Ohio counties against retail pharmacy chains claiming their opioid dispensing practices flooded communities with pain pills and were a a public nuisance can continue, a federal judge in Cleveland has determined. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster rejected the pharmacy chains' motion to dismiss the suits, ruling Thursday that the Ohio law does indeed apply to Lake and Trumbull counties' nuisance claims. Polster is overseeing more than 2,000 lawsuits filed by local governments, tribal authorities and others against companies they blame for fueling an opioid epidemic that has killed 430,000 people since 2000. The two northeast Ohio counties' lawsuits against CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart and Giant Eagle were the first to target retail pharmacy chains as both distributors and dispensers of painkillers. Those claims seek damages from the retail chains as distributors of painkillers but not as dispensers.
One dead after US 221 crash in Bedford County
BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. One person is dead after a crash in Bedford County on Monday morning. Two vehicles collided near the intersection of Forest Road and Cottontown Road, where Lynchburg Nissan and CVS are located, shortly before 10 a.m., according to Virginia State Police. State police have not yet released the name of the person who died. The crash remains under investigation.
Arizona governor facing pressure to act as virus cases surge
The Arizona Department of Health Services posted on its website Monday another 1,104 cases of COVID-19 and eight additional deaths, bringing the statewide total number of coronavirus cases to 36,705 and related deaths to 1,194. Doug Ducey to take steps like requiring masks in public to slow a major increase in new coronavirus cases that has made the state a national hot spot. Arizona hospitals were treating a record number of coronavirus patients Tuesday amid a surge of new cases. The state's Health Services Department reported a record number of emergency room visits for the virus as well. #MaskUpAZ.During a news briefing last week where he pushed back on questions about a mask mandate, the governor insisted that the state's hospitals, while filling up, had the capacity to treat any expected surge in virus patients.
CVS expands COVID-19 testing in Virginia, adds six new local locations
ROANOKE, Va. CVS has expanded its coronavirus testing in the commonwealth and has added six new locations in our region. The company is adding 37 more testing sites, which are set to open Friday, to its original 39 that were announced in late May. Each site will have drive-thru testing and will use self-swab tests. There will also be no out-of-pocket costs for both insured and uninsured patients. Below is a list of the new testing sites, with local sites highlighted.
See which 39 Virginia CVS Pharmacy locations are adding drive-thru coronavirus testing
Published: May 28, 2020, 9:52 am Updated: May 28, 2020, 9:57 amROANOKE, Va. Starting Friday, people can get tested at nearly 40 drive-thru testing sites at CVS across the commonwealth. Officials say the 39 new testing sites will use self-swab tests, and will be part of the 1,000 locations CVS promised to open by the end of May with a goal of processing 1.5 million tests each month. I appreciate CVS stepping up to help more Virginians get access to testing--at no cost, even if you dont have insurance." According to the company, half of the 1,000 CVS locations are in areas that need testing most as measured by the CDCs Social Vulnerability Index. (SWC), Norfolk, VA 23508CVS Pharmacy, 5829 High Street, Portsmouth, VA 23703CVS Pharmacy, 31 W. Main Street, Radford, VA 24141CVS Pharmacy, 8820 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23294CVS Pharmacy, 5001 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230CVS Pharmacy, 8811 Forest Hill Road, Richmond, VA 23235CVS Pharmacy, 5001 Forest Hills Avenue, Richmond, VA 23225CVS Pharmacy, 3001 Lauderdale Drive, Richmond, VA 23233CVS Pharmacy, 8121 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23236CVS Pharmacy, 1205 N. Laburnum Avenue, Richmond, VA 23223CVS Pharmacy, 902 Garrisonville Road, Stafford, VA 22554CVS Pharmacy, 1280 North Great Neck, Virginia Beach, VA 23454CVS Pharmacy, 6099 Indian River Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23464CVS Pharmacy, 1688 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23451CVS Pharmacy, 1600 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185CVS Pharmacy, 2207 Valley Avenue, Winchester, VA 22601A complete list of CVS Pharmacy drive-thru test sites can be found here.
Report says Walgreens may go private
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - Drug store giant Walgreens Boots Alliance is one of the worst stocks in the Dow this year. But shares shot up Tuesday after Reuters reported that the company is considering taking itself private. Shares of Walgreens popped 3.5% in heavy trading on the report. An acquisition of Walgreens would not come cheap for any private equity firm though. Walgreens shares are down nearly 10% this year, making it the second-worst performer in the Dow in 2019 behind only pharma giant Pfizer.
Retailers are pulling Johnson's baby powder from store shelves
(CNN) - Several retailers have pulled Johnson's baby powder from shelves after Johnson & Johnson announced earlier this month it was recalling 33,000 bottles due to asbestos concerns. CVS, Target, Walgreens and Rite Aid said on Friday they had removed all 22-ounce bottles of the baby powder from store shelves. Walmart said it had removed recalled Johnson's baby powder. "The only action we've taken is with products impacted by the Johnson & Johnson recall." Additionally, FDA is not aware of any records pointing to counterfeit Johnson's baby powder in the US market," Meyer's email said.
Walgreens will close about 200 US stores
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - Walgreens will close about 200 locations across the United States as part of its plan to cut costs. After buying roughly half of Rite Aid's stores two years ago, Walgreens expanded its American footprint to more than 9,500 stores. The planned closures represent less than 3% of Walgreens locations. Walgreens did not provide a list of the stores that it plans to close. Parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance announced in June it would close 200 of its more than 2,400 Boots stores in the United Kingdom.