Walmart pharmacy ready to give flu shots

Retail giant Walmart has unveiled a new digital scheduler so customers can book a flu vaccine appointment at any of Walmart’s 4,700 pharmacies. Walmart said its stores are following COVID-19 safety precautions and this year the flu shot is being given to its 1.5 million employees with no out-of-pocket costs, regardless of their insurance status.

Walmart’s flu shots are administered by each store’s pharmacy staff with no out-of-pocket costs with most major insurance plans. Walmart said it has a variety of initiatives to make it easy for customers and associates to get safely vaccinated while following COVID-19 protocols. Following are some of the initiatives.

• Flu shot events
Walmart stores will host convenient, in-store events on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons to encourage customers to get their flu shots during their regularly scheduled shopping trips (check with your local pharmacy on exact times). The events begin Sept. 10. On Sept. 26, Walmart will host a flu shot Wellness Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Digital appointment scheduler
Walmart is launching a digital schedule that reserves flu shot appointments directly via the Walmart mobile app. This allows customers to schedule their flu shot appointment prior to heading to the store for their regular grocery shopping trip. Customers will fill out their patient questionnaires online to set up an appointment and make the in-store vaccination process as efficient as possible. Walk-in appointments are also available. Once at the store, customers will have a COVID-19 screening prior to receiving their flu shot.

• Employee flu shots
Walmart’s 1.5 million U.S. associates will have access to flu shots with no out-of-pocket costs this year, regardless of their tenure with the company or insurance status. Making flu shots accessible is just one of the ways Walmart is supporting associates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which also includes an emergency leave policy and special cash bonuses.

This increased flu shot initiative comes on the heels of the retailer’s increased focus on offering community health care with new clinics like the one in Springdale, or the new ones announced recently in Georgia. Walmart has also been administering COVID-19 tests at drive-thru locations at hundreds of its stores across the U.S. in concert with the state and federal health officials.

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