Safeway, Albertsons To Offer Vaccines As U.S. Expands Supply

OLYMPIA, WA — More pharmacies across Washington state will offer COVID-19 vaccinations in coming weeks, including the state's 100-plus Safeway, Albertsons and Haggen pharmacies.

The administration of President Joe Biden announced plans Tuesday to dramatically increase vaccine allotments, with 1 million doses slated for roughly 6,500 pharmacies across the country, The Associated Press reported.

Albertsons Cos. Inc., which owns Safeway, Albertsons and Haggen pharmacies, confirmed that it is part of the administration's Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnership Program for COVID-19 Vaccination and that the increased allotments will allow it to begin vaccination at all 170 of its pharmacies across the Evergreen State.

“Throughout the pandemic, the communities we serve have trusted our pharmacy teams to play a critical role in maintaining their health and wellness,” said David Green, director of pharmacy for Safeway Albertsons. “Our pharmacy teams are preparing to handle the unprecedented demand and administer the vaccine safely and efficiently as members of the public become eligible.”

Currently, 32 of the pharmacies are offering the vaccine. The remainder could begin vaccinations as early as Feb. 11, according to the company.

Washington residents who are eligible to receive the vaccine can make appointments to get a dose at Safeway, Albertsons or Haggen pharmacies by visiting the company website. Currently, the pharmacies are not offering appointments over the phone.

Albertsons Cos. said that demand is high, and as at most clinics, appointments are likely to fill up quickly.

To qualify to receive the vaccine, a resident must be in Phase 1a or 1b1 of the state's vaccination plan. That includes the following:

• Health care workers.
• Medical first responders.
• Residents and staff of long-term care facilities.
• Anyone 65 and older.
• Residents 50 or older and who live in a multigenerational household.

The administration's announcement coincided with the state's effort to pivot away from vaccine administration at hospitals and toward vaccinations at local clinics and pharmacies.

Earlier, Washington state announced vaccine administration partnerships with other pharmacy chains, including CVS and Walgreens.

According to the latest update to the state's COVID-19 data dashboard, Washington administered an average of 28,115 vaccines in the week ending Jan. 31. The state has set a goal of administering more than 45,000 vaccines a day. While there is significant progress to be made, daily vaccinations have more than doubled since that goal was met.