If you are confused about where to get a vaccine, you’re not alone. Distribution across the region has been slow, particularly in Kansas City. Walmart pharmacies and stand-alone pharmacies such as CVS will now be added to the list of locations administering the vaccine after they completed a nationwide nursing home vaccination plan put in place by the Trump administration.
Certain stores in both Missouri and Kansas are scheduled to get doses this week using the Federal Retail Pharmacy program.
The CDC website now says that Walmart, Hen House, and Price Chopper are on the list, and soon to be included will be CVS, Costco, Hy-Vee, Walgreens and Sam’s Club. Eventually, the list of pharmacies will also include Walgreens, CVS, Costco, Sam’s Club, and Hy-Vee.
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Walmart said in a statement, “With 150 million customers and members passing through our doors each week, Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacists can safely and easily reach customers where they’re already shopping for household and health care essentials.” The company says it worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and states taking into account the population density, customer demographics, infection rates and availability of local health care resources among other factors to identify many of the participating locations.
Before you head out to get your vaccine, however, you’ll still need to fit into a category of early vaccinations. That includes people in certain jobs, those over 65 and those with certain underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk for morbidity should they contract Coronavirus.
Walmart says that they approved include 81 Walmarts in Missouri.
than 40,000 pharmacies are expected to participate in the federal program.
Walmart and Sam’s Club will offer the vaccine in 22 states, including Kansas and Missouri, according to the company.
Kansas has been approved for 83 participating pharmacies according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
In the Kansas City metro you can seek out one of the following stores:
MISSOURI PHARMACY LOCATIONS
- The Missouri side of the metro includes:
- Walmart, 8301 N. Church Road, Kansas City
- Walmart, 3411 S. Noland Road, Independence
- Walmart, 11601 E. U.S. 40, Kansas City
- Walmart, 4000 S. Bolger Road, Independence
- Sam’s Club, 4100 S. Bolger Road, Independence
KANSAS PHARMACY LOCATIONS
The Kansas locations in the metro include:
- Price Chopper, 4950 Roe Blvd., Roeland Park
- Price Chopper, 7000 W. 75th St., Overland Park
- Hen House, 6900 W. 135th St., Overland Park
- Price Chopper, 15970 S. Mur-Len Road, Olathe
- Price Chopper, 2101 E. Santa Fe St., Olathe
- Walmart, 13600 S. Alden St., Olathe
- Hen House, 13600 S. Blackbob Road, Olathe
- Price Chopper, 12010 W. 63rd St., Shawnee
- Hen House Pharmacy, 8120 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas
- Hen House and Price Chopper will list info at ballsfoodspharmacy.com.
To check on availability at Walmart, visit Samsclub.com or Walmart’s website.
Both Missouri and Kansas use interactive internet maps to assist in scheduling an appointment. The Missouri map is at covidvaccine.mo.gov/map. The online map is also available for Kansas. For Kansas visit their website here. The CDC also has a list of participating companies. is at cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/retail-pharmacy-program.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice