Kroger Health, the health care division of the Kroger supermarket chain, is offering COVID-19 vaccinations at select locations across the country.
Last month the company unveiled a "vaccine scheduling tool" to help customers in more than 30 states book appointments.
The company said: "The new tool can manage more than 250,000 requests daily and will reflect the amount of vaccine doses confirmed within Kroger's system while allowing visitors to check vaccine eligibility and create appointments as availability of the vaccine increases.
"Customers will also have the ability to book appointments for both their first and second dose at the same time."
Eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations at Kroger
The Kroger website states: "All Kroger Health pharmacies and clinics will administer vaccine in accordance with jurisdiction-defined eligibility. Each of the 64 jurisdictions define their own allocation plan and priority." Each jurisdiction will progress through the phases listed below:
- Phase 1A: limited doses available for people in health care settings (primarily long-term care facilities)
- Phase 1B: limited doses available for frontline essential workers (definition varies) and people aged 75 or older
- Phase 1C: limited doses available for essential workers, people aged 65 to 74 and those aged 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions
- Phase 2: large number of doses available for "critical population"—defined as health care personnel, non-health care essential workers, adults with high-risk medical conditions and people aged 65 years and older
- Phase 3: shift to routine vaccination strategy for remaining critical population and the general population.
How to book COVID-19 vaccinations at Kroger
Those eligible can book an appointment by clicking on the blue "COVID-19 Vaccinations" banner at the top of the Kroger home page.
This will open a page offering information on quantities and eligibility in different states. At present, appointments are available in 23 states plus Washington, D.C.
Clicking on the "Check appointment availability" link under any state will open an eligibility questionnaire. Customers should follow the on-screen prompts to answer the questions.
Once their eligibility has been verified, customers will be directed to another page to schedule their appointment. Users will need to provide some medical information and personal details and fill out a vaccine consent form to complete their booking.
The website advises: "Our family of pharmacies has received a limited supply of the COVID-19 vaccine in select areas ... this page will be regularly updated with information on vaccine availability and eligibility by state. Please check back often."
The wider picture
The novel coronavirus has infected more than 114.9 million people, including over 28.7 million in the U.S., since it was first reported in Wuhan, China.
More than 2.5 million people have died worldwide and more than 64.9 million have recovered as of Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The graphic below, produced by Statista, shows vaccine rollout progress across the country.
The graphic below, also produced by Statista, illustrates COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.
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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
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