TEXAS — Phase 1 of Texas’ plan to roll out COVID-19 vaccines includes residents of long-term care facilities, and CVS is the provider largely tasked with that.

The pharmacy will begin the process in earnest on Monday, December 28. The program is part of a partnership between the CDC, CVS, and Walgreens. Residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities will receive an initial vaccine dose as well as a booster at their facilities.

“CVS Pharmacy teams will make three visits to each long-term care facility to ensure residents and staff receive their initial shot and critical booster. The majority of residents and staff will be fully vaccinated three to four weeks after the first visit, depending on which vaccine they receive,” a press release from CVS states. “CVS Health expects to complete its long-term care facility vaccination effort in approximately 12 weeks.”

Long-term care facilities in Texas were given the opportunity to choose their providers and largely chose CVS.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, “CDC expects the program services to continue on-site at participating facilities for approximately two months. After the initial phase of vaccinations, each facility can choose to continue working with CVS or Walgreens or can work with a pharmacy provider of its choice.”

"Today's rollout is the culmination of months of internal planning and demonstrates how the private sector can use its expertise to help solve some of our most critical challenges," said Larry J. Merlo, President and Chief Executive Officer, CVS Health, said of an earlier stage of the rollout. "I'm grateful for the herculean efforts of everyone involved, including our health care professionals who will be deployed throughout the country to bring peace of mind to long-term care facility residents, staff, and their loved ones."

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