For some people trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine it’s been as easy as going to their local grocery store.
If you’ve ever gotten your flu shot at Giant Eagle, it’s a really similar experience. All you have to do is walk into the room ,take a seat, and you get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Barbara Miller came to the Giant Eagle on Camp Horne Road from Mt. Washington to get her COVID-19 vaccine after hours of searching online.
“It was just a lot of time on the computer, different sites, Rite Aid, a few other ones, and just a lot of time and plugging in dates,” Miller said.
Her appointment comes at a time when Giant Eagle is expecting more COVID-19 vaccines — thanks to the Federal Pharmacy Program — that ships vaccines directly to pharmacies across the country.
Giant Eagle has nearly 100 stores spread out across Western Pennsylvania. That includes 22 in and around the Pittsburgh area.
“That did release some additional doses that had been prioritized elsewhere because the administration felt community pharmacies including Giant Eagle were in a good position to get those doses into arms,” Vic Vercammen, chief pandemic officer, said.
Vercammen says even though they are getting extra doses they’d still like to receive even more so they can vaccinate as many people as possible.
“Be assured that when we get more supply, we will add more appointments. We are not putting appointments into our data base until we know vaccine is coming because we don’t want to cancel people at the last minute if our supplies were to fall short,” he said.
So far Giant Eagle has vaccinated 15,000 people across Pennsylvania.
To make an appointment at the pharmacy, you can log onto the Giant Eagle website (CLICK HERE), and go from there.
It’s how Rebecca Volker’s family signed her up, receiving her vaccination today.
“I was amazed that I actually was able to get this Giant Eagle. I have friends who went to Butler, New Castle, and I was fortunate enough, it was the luck of the draw,” she said.
And that’s exactly how Miller feels too, lucky.
“Very relieved. I think everyone I know who has gotten the shot feels the same way,” Miller said.
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