Walmart highlights COVID-19 vaccination successes in report

Walmart is taking stock of its accomplishments in fighting the pandemic and keeping communities healthy in its COVID-19 One-Year Vaccine report.

In the report, the retailer shares details of its administration of tens of millions of vaccines with 80% being delivered in medically underserved communities as classified by the HRSA. 

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The first patient vaccination was administered on December 21, 2020, and within eight weeks, more than 1,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies began administering COVID-19 vaccines in 22 states through the U.S. Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, the company said. 

Also included is an outline of how partnerships were initiated with local organizations, including school districts, community organizations and long-term care facilities among others, to reach underserved and rural communities and other eligible populations with education and vaccination opportunities. 

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“The past year has been incredibly challenging for all Americans, and we’re proud to have done our part help fight the pandemic and keep our communities’ self and healthy,” Cheryl Pegus, executive vice president, Walmart health and wellness, said. “At the heart of our efforts are our communities where we live and work and we have worked to meet people where they are to make an impact during the pandemic.”

The retailer also shares insights on how it created useful tools to make vaccination information and appointments more broadly accessible to all communities, including those that are underserved and particularly vulnerable. A few examples include the Walmart.com and Samsclub.com online scheduler that is available in English and Spanish and CVENT phone scheduling tool that provides access to those without consistent access to the internet, the company said. 

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Walmart also makes a note of how vaccination access increased with the “Get Out the Vaccine” plan, which was modeled after the “Get Out the Vote” movement that employed grassroots and community partnerships, corporate partners, internal operations, media and others with the goal of sharing information and helping people make an informed choice about getting vaccinated. 

Lastly, the report also makes note of how it identified voices with credibility and trust with diverse populations throughout the country, including medical professionals, to share the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

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“Through our research we found that Walmart overperformed in communities that are high in vaccine reluctance,” Joel Finkelstein, chief science officer and co-founder of Network Contagion Research Institute said. “Walmart has been able to use their relationship and a targeted local approach to reach some of these communities who have been harder to reach.”