CVS, Walgreens responsible for 70% of wasted COVID-19 vaccines

CVS and Walgreens were responsible for 128,500 of the 182,874 wasted COVID-19 vaccine doses recorded by the CDC as of late March, Kaiser Health News reported May 3.

Of those 182,874 wasted doses, CVS was responsible for nearly half, and Walgreens for 21 percent. The two retail pharmacy giants wasted more doses than states, U.S. territories and federal agencies combined, according to CDC data.

The bulk of the wasted doses came from the companies' long-term care facility vaccination programs, which were launched at the beginning of the country's mass inoculation efforts.

CVS told Kaiser Health News "nearly all" of its reported vaccine waste occurred during its long-term care facility vaccination efforts. Michael DeAngelis, CVS' senior director of corporate communications, attributed the wasted doses to "issues with transportation restrictions, limitations on redirecting unused doses, and other factors."

Mr. DeAngelis also told Kaiser Health News that CVS limited its waste to approximately one dose per onsite vaccination clinic.

Walgreens told Kaiser Health News its wasted doses accounted for less than 0.5 percent of the 8.2 million vaccine doses it administered through March 29.

 

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