Hy-Vee Partners with Dallas County to Distribute Its First COVID-19 Vaccines in Iowa
December 30, 2020 | News & Press Releases
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (Dec. 30, 2020) — Today, Hy-Vee partnered with the Dallas County Health Department to administer its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to front line health care workers in Iowa.
Several dozen Dallas County health care workers received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Waukee Hy-Vee Pharmacy, just 24 hours after Hy-Vee administered its very first COVID-19 vaccines to staff and residents at a long-term care facility in Fairmont, Minnesota on Tuesday.
This week, Waukee and West Lakes Hy-Vee pharmacies are only able to vaccinate front line health care workers employed in Dallas County due to the CDC’s allocation guidance. Dallas County front line health care workers who would like to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can visit www.hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine-consent to fill out the consent form and schedule an appointment. Health care workers should bring proof of employment with them when they receive their vaccine.
A partnership with the Polk County Health Department and Hy-Vee will be announced in the near future.
“Hy-Vee’s eight-state footprint and bandwidth of more than 270 pharmacies gives us the unique opportunity to offer much-needed vaccine accessibility to both urban and rural communities across the Midwest,” said Aaron Wiese, Hy-Vee’s executive vice president of business innovation and chief health officer. “Our team of more than 2,700 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are committed to following all CDC guidelines, and we have processes in place to ensure the administration of the vaccines are done so in a safe and efficient manner.”
Hy-Vee is part of a select group of retailers that was selected earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be a COVID-19 vaccine provider. As the vaccine becomes more widely available to pharmacies, Hy-Vee will offer COVID-19 vaccines at all Hy-Vee pharmacy locations throughout its eight states, which includes Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Currently, Hy-Vee is working with local governments and organizations to provide vaccinations to those included in the CDC’s Phase 1A vaccine distribution plan, which includes health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. The vaccine will be free to patients.
Hy-Vee pharmacy members are required to wear masks and other personal protective equipment when administering vaccines. All patients must also wear masks during the vaccination process and are encouraged to practice social distancing when at the pharmacy location.
Hy-Vee offers free COVID-19 lab testing (molecular PCR) at more than 180 pharmacy locations, and rapid antigen COVID-19 testing for eligible patients at 47 pharmacy locations. To schedule a testing appointment, patients can visit www.hy-vee.com/covidtesting.
Hy-Vee is currently searching for more than 1,000 pharmacy technicians to assist with COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 vaccine administration as more doses become available. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply at www.hy-vee.com/careers. In addition to enjoying a slate of competitive benefits including a 10% employee discount, competitive pay and flexible scheduling, technicians who assist with the rapid antigen COVID-19 tests are eligible to receive a $250 bonus.
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Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 275 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of $11 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee ranks in the Top 10 Most Trusted Brands and has been named one of America’s Top 5 favorite grocery stores. The company’s more than 88,000 employees provide “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.