Bay Area CVS Pharmacies Begin Program Offering Free COVID Vaccines
PLEASANTON (KPIX 5) -- In another advance in the effort to ramp up the COVID vaccine rollout in California, CVS pharmacies on Thursday began scheduling online appointments to give out free doses.
According to what KPIX 5 heard from one Bay Area resident, slots were filling up quickly.
The vaccine coming to CVS pharmacies is a fraction of what the state normally gets in a week.
"We are we are about to receive 10% of another 1 million dose allocation," Governor Gavcin Newsom said Wednesday. "And that's directly to pharmacies here in the state of California."
So the CVS allotment on top of the over one million doses California receives each week, but it's divided up among many pharmacies.
"I found a city near me," Bay Point resident Cathie Mojica told KPIX during an interview Thursday. "I've been on their website trying to get to the appointment, but no luck."
And Mojica didn't just try for a few minutes.
"About an hour and a half," she said with a laugh.
Mojica gave it as much time as she could, but she never got through to the page that would have allowed her to book an appointment with CVS.
Had she managed to get to that webpage, it would have been much like the state's website, basically asking for her vaccine eligibility.
By late afternoon Thursday, the CVS website listing cities with participating pharmacies was largely listed as "fully booked."
"I'll think I'll wait till the 15th, when my health care plan says they'll call," Mojica said as far as her next steps. "Give them a couple days, and see what happens."
Seeing more vaccines rolling out to communities across the Bay Area is giving people hope.
"It's pretty exciting, the fact that they could get it out sooner," said Pleasanton resident Ashish Pyala. " If they could get it out for more people, I really think it's cool."
Tracy's Jesus Cancino added: ""It's a divide and conquer situation right now. It will be shorter lines, shorter waiting lists. If one place is full, they can go to another one."
Patients getting the vaccine through CVS need to register in advance at CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app. The website provides a full listing of cities where the vaccine is available.
People without online access can contact CVS customer service at (800) 746-7287. Walk-in vaccinations without an appointment will not be provided.
Select Walgreens stores in Contra Costa County also plan to begin vaccinations starting Friday, Feb. 12. Appointments are required and can be made on the Walgreens website.
