Eighty percent of the COVID-19 vaccines Walmart has administered have been in medically underserved communities.
The retail giant released a one-year look into its COVID-19 vaccination efforts on Feb. 23 and shared the tools the company used to make vaccination information and appointments available to all communities.
Here are four tools Walmart used to bolster vaccinations rates in underserved communities:
1. Tailored messaging
Walmart customized its messaging to match the needs of each community it was trying to reach. For example, Walmart translated its COVID-19 information into multiple languages for patients in its physical and digital platforms.
2. Online scheduler
Walmart created an online scheduling tool to help patients find locations and appointments nearest to them.
3. Telephone scheduling
For patients who didn't have access to the internet or an internet-connected device, Walmart created a telephone-based scheduling tool. This helped patients schedule vaccine appointments over the phone.
4. Digital vaccination records
Customers who received a COVID-19 vaccination at a Walmart or Sam's Club pharmacy were offered a digital vaccine record. Patients were able to view and confirm their vaccination status via their Walmart pharmacy account.