ShopRite passes 100,000 mark in COVID-19 vaccinations

ShopRite has reached a milestone in its coronavirus vaccine program, topping 100,000 vaccinations administered.

The Wakefern Food Corp. supermarket banner said it exceeded the mark late last week. Selected ShopRite pharmacies in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are currently offering COVID-19 shots.

ShopRite Pharmacy is providing the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccines and, at some locations in New Jersey, has begun offering the single-dose  Johnson & Johnson vaccine. ShopRite noted that the vaccine supply at its retail pharmacies remains limited.

“We are proud to play a role in the public health effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Hitting the 100,000 mark with vaccine distribution is a testament to the expertise, efficiency and dedication of our store Pharmacy teams,” Jeffrey Mondelli, RPh, vice president of pharmacy, health and beauty at Wakefern, said in a statement.

Over the past two months, ShopRite pharmacy staff have administered coronavirus immunizations to health care workers, first responders, teachers, seniors and other eligible populations, based on state guidelines. ShopRite announced its COVID-19 vaccine program in late December under the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Strategy for COVID-19 Vaccination provide coverage through its pharmacies in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The grocery chain began administering the vaccines in early January to health care personnel at 39 pharmacies in New Jersey.

Related:ShopRites in New Jersey ready to go with COVID-19 vaccine

Through the Topco Associates network, ShopRite now participates in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program launched in February by the Biden administration, which allocates vaccines directly to pharmacies.

Currently, ShopRite Pharmacy is providing COVID vaccines to eligible individuals at 69 locations in New Jersey, four locations in New York and seven locations in Pennsylvania, the latter including three stores in Philadelphia.

“We continue to work with federal and state governments to secure additional vaccine supply and look forward to delivering even more vaccine — especially to store associates — as supply and state eligibility requirements expand in the coming weeks and months,” Mondelli added.

Overall, the ShopRite banner includes about 280 independently owned and operated supermarkets, including about 150 in-store pharmacies, in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland.

Through the morning of March 15, 21.4% of the U.S. population had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, and 11.5% had been fully vaccinated, with nearly 109.1 million vaccines administered of the 135.8 million delivered by manufacturers, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). President Joe Biden earlier this month announced that the United States expects to have enough COVID vaccinations for all adults by the end of May, and last week he directed all states and terrorities to make all adults eligible to receive the vaccine by May 1.

Related:Wakefern to shut 62 ShopRite pharmacies