CVS, Walgreens waste more COVID vaccine than most states combined, data shows

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Two national pharmacy chains that the federal government entrusted to inoculate people against COVID-19 account for the lion’s share of wasted vaccine doses, according to government data obtained by KHN.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 182,874 wasted doses as of late March, three months into the country’s effort to vaccinate the masses against the coronavirus. Of those, CVS was responsible for nearly half, and Walgreens for 21%, or nearly 128,500 wasted shots combined.

CDC data suggests that the companies have wasted more doses than states, U.S. territories and federal agencies combined. Pfizer’s vaccine, which in December was the first to be deployed and initially required storage at ultracold temperatures, represented nearly 60% of tossed doses.

It’s not completely clear from the CDC data why the two chains wasted so much more vaccine than states and federal agencies. Some critics have pointed to poor planning early in the rollout, when the Trump administration leaned heavily on CVS and Walgreens to vaccinate residents and staff members of long-term care facilities. In response to questions, CVS said “nearly all” of its reported vaccine waste occurred during that effort. Walgreens did not specify how many wasted doses were from the long-term care program.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/cvs-walgreens-waste-more-covid-vaccine-than-most-states-combined-data-shows/ar-BB1gjWbm

[Roland99]

1. Odds trump org somehow profited off that?

[Yonnie3]

2. In my area of Virginia CVS was the only game in town for many

The local health department may not have wasted shots, but they failed at giving eligible people appointments while they had significant inventories sitting in the freezer. Anal retentive comes to mind.

I've read that 99.9% of the pharmacies' vaccine ended up in peoples arms. Seems reasonable to me.

[underpants]

8. This isn't great but consider that 200M shots have been given

Yes it seems reasonable. I know of several instances of people getting shots at the end of the day or at the end of an organized group like church groups. Several anecdotes about that. With that many shots there are bound to be some left each day in a lot of locations.

[soothsayer]

3. It's because no one --like that logistics general who was supposed to -- ever made a distribution plan

The former admin left everyone to just make things up on the fly.

Unconscionable.

[Ms. Toad]

4. Hmm . . . let me take a guess.

CVS has stores in 43 states, and drug stores (rather than states, directly) were doing virtually all of the initial vaccinations. Just looking at CVS, it seems pretty obvious to me that if you farm out virtually all of the vaccinations to an entity which has a presence in 43 states (rather than having the state do it) that most of the waste is going to be found within the entity(ies) actually doing the vaccinations.

[aocommunalpunch]

5. Private industry does it again. nt

[halfulglas]

6. They had no incentive to do it right.

They paid nothing for the product (the vaccine doses) but got to charge the government for each injection given, and the supply keeps coming in. This is public-private partnerships in action. How is anyone suprised? I'm only surpised by the size of the waste.

[dawg]

7. I understand that most conservatives believe private companies do things better, but ...

I was *so* glad I didn't have to go to CVS for my Covid vaccine.

[boston bean]

9. I went to CVS for mine and it was extremely well run. I have no complaints.

There are going to be wasted shots because of the storage issue and the trumpidiot having zero plans.

[dsc]

10. I got mine at a private medical practice which did a fantastic job

but that said, this waste may not be anywhere near as bad as it is being portrayed. They likely gave the more vaccines so had more waste.