Giant Food makes COVID-19 vaccines available at all pharmacies

Giant Food has expanded COVID-19 vaccinations to all 152 of its in-store pharmacies in its Mid-Atlantic market.

Landover, Md.-based Giant said Wednesday that its pharmacies in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the Washington, D.C., area are offering the two-shot Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech and one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccines, depending on the location.

Before this week, coronavirus immunizations were offered at more than half of the retailer’s pharmacies, Giant noted. The company said the expanded availability of doses will broaden access to the vaccine for eligible residents and future groups, as well as foster vaccination against the virus across the region.

Giant participates as a partner in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination, which allocates vaccines directly to pharmacies, through Retail Business Services (RBS), the services arm of parent company Ahold Delhaize USA.

“We’re extremely proud of all of our Giant pharmacy teams across our stores for their commitment to serving the public and doing their part to help our communities get vaccinated,” Paul Zvaleny, director of pharmacy operations at Giant, said in a statement. “We’re honored to have the privilege of now being able to offer the vaccine at all 152 of our pharmacy locations to further assist in efforts to help our communities recover from the pandemic.”

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Giant added that it’s continuing to work closely with local and federal authorities to secure more COVID vaccine doses on an ongoing basis. The grocer administered its first shots in late 2020, when the vaccine first became available to health care workers and long-term care residents. Giant said its pharmacists began providing vaccinations in Washington, D.C., in December, in Maryland and Delaware in January, and in Virginia in February.

Along with in-store inoculations, Giant said it has been holding off-site clinics to help provide equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines across the communities it serves. To that end, the supermarket chain has worked closely with local partners to lower barriers to access and identify populations most in need of receiving the vaccine. Last week, for example, Giant pharmacists held a vaccination clinic in Maryland at the Arc of Prince George’s County, an organization that supports developmentally disabled individuals.

Giant offers online reservations for COVID-19 vaccines at giantfood.com/covid-info for residents of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. At the site, user can check their eligibility for the vaccine and schedule appointments to get the. If the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is indicated, pharmacy staff will schedule the second-dose appointment at the time of the patient’s first dose. Giant said Washington, D.C., residents should use the DC Health online portal to schedule COVID vaccination appointments. Giant is providing the vaccine at no cost but is asking customers to bring their health insurance card and driver’s license to their appointment.

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Part of Ahold Delhaize USA, Giant operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. Its store base includes 152 full-service pharmacies, 82 full-service PNC Banks and 24 Starbucks locations. Its online grocery services include 144 Giant Pickup sites and Giant Delivery to all of its markets in D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.