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The Biden administration said Tuesday it will begin distributing a limited number of Covid-19 vaccine doses directly to retail pharmacies across the nation. Many pharmacies are already administering vaccine doses that have been allocated to states. Under the new program, the federal government would ship doses directly to pharmacies. The new pharmacy initiative — which is aimed at broadening access to vaccines generally — is separate from an ongoing federal program to have Walgreens and CVS vaccinate residents of long-term care facilities. (Lim, 2/2)

The program will begin on Feb. 11 on a limited basis, with vaccines sent to about 6,500 stores nationwide, Jeff Zients, the White House's COVID-19 response coordinator, told reporters on Tuesday. He said that the effort would then scale up and that eventually up to 40,000 retail pharmacies, including Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid locations, would receive doses directly from the federal government. Once the program starts, Zients said, those wishing to get vaccinated should follow their state's current eligibility requirements and, if eligible, then check with their local pharmacy to see if there is vaccine availability. (Swasey, 2/2)

Still, [Jeff] Zients was careful to temper expectations that far from everyone will be able to walk into a CVS for a vaccine in the near future. “This will be limited when it begins next week,” he said. Some pharmacies “may have very limited supply,” he added. (Sullivan, 2/2)

The Biden administration announced plans Tuesday to speed the nation’s roll-out of coronavirus vaccine by increasing the supply of shots to states, while sending another 1 million doses directly to thousands of pharmacies across the country. As a result, the nation’s largest pharmacy chain, CVS, said it would distribute doses at 100 of its California stores starting on Feb. 11, including at locations in Sunnyvale, San Francisco and Sonoma. Meanwhile California officials said the state has stepped up distribution efforts that had ranked among the slowest in the country. (Savidge and Krieger, 2/2)

COVID-19 vaccines are coming to CVS pharmacies in Texas. But, only 70 locations will roll them out starting Feb. 11. CVS Health announced the incoming vaccines are part of an 11-state rollout across approximately 335 CVS Pharmacy locations, according to a Tuesday news release from CVS. Supply for the limited rollout in the state, which is sourced directly from the federal pharmacy partnership program, will be approximately 38,000 total doses. (Aguirre, 2/2)

Walmart is among a handful of retailers administering COVID-19 vaccines, and at least 1,200 seniors and essential workers have received the vaccine at eight Chicago stores since last week, the retailer said. The stores will offer COVID-19 vaccines through Sunday and will administer additional doses if Walmart receives more from health officials, said Chinni Pulluru, a senior director at Walmart Health and Wellness. (Zumbach, 2/2)

Only 37 percent of staff in long-term care facilities have been vaccinated against COVID-19 through a federal partnership with local pharmacies, according to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), raising further concerns about low vaccination rates among those who work with people at high risk for serious illness or death from the virus. (Hellmann, 2/1)

KHN: 100 Million Covid Shots In 100 Days Doesn’t Get Us Back To Normal 

April 30 will mark the end of the first 100 days of President Joe Biden’s tenure. That’s a benchmark presidents often set for making good on high-priority campaign promises. In early December, Biden announced that one promise would be to get 100 million covid-19 vaccines into the arms of Americans in the first 100 days, averaging about 1 million daily doses. The U.S. reached that pace around Inauguration Day but will have to maintain it for the next three months for Biden to reach his goal. If realized, how will everyday life change? We asked the experts. (Knight, 2/3)