Giant Stores To Distribute Coronavirus Vaccine Once Approved

CARLISLE, PA — Pharmacies at the Pennsylvania-based Giant Company's stores will provide vaccines for COVID-19 once they have been approved for the public.

The company announced Friday that it has signed on with the U.S. Department of Health and Hunan Services to become a vaccine provider. The company has 132 pharmacies at its Giant and Martin's grocery stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

"Our pharmacists are trusted health advisors in the local communities that we serve and well-equipped to safely administer future COVID-19 vaccines," said Leigh Shirley, director of pharmacy operations with The Giant Company. "Being part of this federal pharmacy program lays the groundwork once a vaccine is available to help increase access to and distribution of the vaccine."

The company's pharmacies regularly give vaccines including flu shots and pneumonia and shingles vaccines.

This week, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that their coronavirus vaccine was 90 percent effective in stage 3 trials, putting them on target to seek emergency approval from the U.S. Drug and Drug Administration by the end of November.

The news comes amid a fall surge of coronavirus that has seen cases nationally, and in Pennsylvania, hit record highs.

For the seventh time in nine days, the United States shattered its record for the most coronavirus cases reported in a single day on Thursday, adding 153,280 coronavirus cases to its running total.

Pennsylvania, meanwhile, announced 5,531 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight, the highest daily increase the state has seen since the pandemic began.