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ABINGDON, VA – To date, Food City Pharmacies have administered over 50,000 FREE COVID-19 vaccines throughout their market area.  As their team of pharmacy professionals continue to fight COVID-19, they would like to encourage everyone eligible to get vaccinated.
 
Food City Pharmacy has partnered with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations to the general public.  The free vaccines are being offered at Food City Pharmacy locations and will be administered following CDC and state guidelines.
 
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our team of Supermarket Heroes has gone above and beyond the call of duty to meet the needs of our customers and the communities we serve.  From the extraordinary efforts of our front-line associates to those working behind the scenes, this has truly been a team effort and we’re proud to have the opportunity to partner with HHS to offer free COVID-19 vaccine to our valued customers,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. 
 
To swiftly increase access to the vaccine for the general population, HHS partnered with pharmacies like Food City to increase access to COVID-19 vaccine for the U.S. population.  Through the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Strategy for COVID-19 Vaccination, federal pharmacy partners are receiving a direct allocation of COVID-19 vaccine. 
 
Pharmacists are trained to administer vaccines and are trusted vaccinators within their respective communities, as they provide seasonal flu and other routine vaccines as part of their established services.  With more than 90% of the population living within five miles of a pharmacy, pharmacists can be a crucial public health partner, offering convenience and increasing access to COVID-19 vaccine.
 
“Food City offers a number of affordable preventative immunizations, including seasonal flu, pneumonia and shingles shots and has done so for over a decade.  The COVID vaccine immunization is other way our pharmacists can play a vital role in our patient’s healthcare”, says Mickey Blazer, Food City executive vice president of pharmacy operations. 
 
COVID-19 vaccine is being administered at partners’ pharmacy locations like Food City at no cost to recipients.  These pharmacy partners have widespread reach and operational capacity to support large-scale vaccination efforts in their communities.  Providing vaccines directly to jurisdictions and pharmacies allows the federal government to quickly and efficiently get the vaccines to millions of people.  States, pharmacies, and the CDC are streamlining and optimizing efforts by working closely to coordinate, track, and monitor distribution.  The CDC has engaged pharmacies and pharmacy professional organizations in pandemic vaccine planning over the last 10 years. 
 
Food City Pharmacy is following CDC vaccination guidelines to administer the COVID-19 vaccine, including guidance to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19.  Customers interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccination should contact their local Food City Pharmacy to schedule an appointment and visit foodcity.com to print the required vaccine consent form, which must be completed prior to vaccination.  For a complete list of Food City Pharmacy locations, visit foodcity.com.    
 
Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 135 retail outlets (including 110 pharmacies) throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama.