CVS Pharmacies announced Thursday that it will offer COVID-19 vaccines to qualified individuals on a first-come, first-serve basis in Charlottesville as early as Feb. 9.
UPDATE: CVS delays opening appointments until Thursday. Read more here.
Details on who is eligible to get a vaccine from CVS are still unclear. The pharmacy said the state will announce who among the open phases may receive vaccines from CVS “in advance of the rollout.”
The pharmacy will begin allowing people to make appointments online once the vaccines arrive at its stores, a spokeswoman said. That is tentatively scheduled to happen Feb. 9.
“Patients must register in advance at CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app, and people without online access can contact CVS customer service: (800) 746-7287. Walk-in vaccinations without an appointment will not be provided,” the spokeswoman said.
Charlottesville is one of 36 Virginia localities with CVS stores that will be offering COVID-19 vaccines. It was unclear Thursday which Charlottesville store or stores will have the vaccines.
“The list of specific stores will be available on CVS.com and the CVS app as stores receive shipments of vaccines and appointments become available,” the spokeswoman said.
CVS expects to initially receive 26,000 doses of vaccines a week for all its Virginia stores.
The pharmacy will receive the vaccine through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, a new program in which President Joe Biden’s administration is bypassing state health departments and shipping vaccines directly to pharmacies throughout the country. CVS is the only pharmacy in Virginia currently receiving vaccines through the program.
The federal program operates separately from vaccination efforts currently underway by the Virginia Department of Health and the Blue Ridge Health District. The local health district had no information Thursday about how the two programs may work together.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
For more local information about vaccination efforts, check out our landing page.
