CVS and Walmart Decide Who Gets Leftover COVID-19 Vaccine Doses

Thousands of pharmacies that began administering COVID-19 vaccines on Feb. 11 have vowed to make sure all 1 million doses they receive from the federal government make it into someone's arm, reports the Wall Street Journal . The locations could find themselves with surplus supply at the end of each day, however, if there are no-shows for scheduled appointments or if vials contain more doses than anticipated. So that none of the vaccine is wasted, CVS Health, Walgreens, Walmart, Rite Aid, and regional grocery stores with pharmacy operations, such as Giant Eagle, Publix, Stop & Shop, and Albertsons, are building wait lists or offering leftover doses to their own employees. With rules varying from state to state, though, they may have to work with local health officials to maintain compliance with vaccine eligibility criteria — although most jurisdictions would rather see extra doses go to someone who may not be in a priority group rather than go to no one at all.