PROVIDENCE – Pharmacies in Rhode Island will change their COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to 65 and older on Feb. 22, mirroring the shift in eligibility at state-run sites, the R.I. Department of Health said on Friday.
In addition, the department said that CVS Health Corp. locations administering the vaccine will expand from seven to 14, while Walgreens vaccination sites will expand from 14 to 24.
The department noted that CVS vaccine locations in Rhode Island will double on account of distribution of an additional federal allocation of 3,500 Pfizer Inc. vaccine doses per week. The chain was already receiving 3,500 Moderna Inc. vaccine doses from the federal government per week in the state.
RIDOH said that the pharmacy vaccination sites will help the state maintain a larger geographic spread as the state is consolidating its state-run vaccine program into five regional mass-vaccination sites.
Information on how to register to be vaccinated at a pharmacy may be found here.
The health department also said Friday that it is working to develop plans to vaccinate Rhode Islanders who cannot leave their homes and have created an online form that people may fill out if they are homebound.
The state said that following its pivot to mass vaccination sites, residents will have three avenues to receive a COVID-19 vaccine: at a state-run site, at a pharmacy or at a city or town clinic.
