Weis Markets Begins Administering COVID-19 Vaccine in Pennsylvania

1/21/2021

Weis Markets Begin Administering COVID-19 Vaccine in Pennsylvania

Weis in-store pharmacies in central, northeast and southeast Pennsylvania will start offering immunizations to those 65 or older.

Mid-Atlantic food retailer Weis Markets, Inc. will begin administering COVID-19 vaccinations in 55 of its in-store pharmacies throughout Pennsylvania, beginning Jan. 21. Per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Pennsylvania Health Department guidance, Weis pharmacy staffs will prioritize individuals age 65 and older for immunizations.

Weis pharmacies will also prioritize COVID-19 immunizations for people age 16-64 with high-risk conditions such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, smoking, COPD, heart conditions, Down Syndrome, obesity and diabetes.

To receive the vaccine, customers must schedule an appointment online with a Weis certified immunizer. Appointment signups are available one day prior to the immunization, and a face covering is required. To ensure the effectiveness of the vaccine, Weis pharmacies will schedule customers for a second immunization four weeks after their first shot.

“Our pharmacies have received a limited quantity of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and will begin immunizing on [Jan. 21],” said Rick Seipp, Weis Markets’ VP of pharmacy. “Over time, we hope to expand to other priority categories as vaccine becomes more available and in coordination with the commonwealth’s guidelines. We’re ready to help.”

Weis in-store pharmacies administering the vaccine are located in Allentown, Altoona, Harrisburg, York, Lancaster, northeast Pennsylvania, southeast Pennsylvania, Lycoming County, Sunbury, Selinsgrove and Lewisburg. All locations can be viewed here.

The retailer is also making vaccination appointments in New York state for those age 65 and up. However, appointments are currently booked through Jan. 23.

Weis had signed on to the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Strategy for COVID-19 Vaccination last November, along with other food retailers. Since that time, grocers have been trying to speed up their vaccination efforts, but say that bureaucratic obstacles are preventing them from doing so.

Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based Weis Markets operates 196 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia and Virginia. The company is No. 58 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.