Deerfield, IL—The nation’s largest drugstore chains are reporting substantial increases in demand for COVID-19 vaccines after a drop in the second quarter.

Reasons vary from fear of the Delta variant to workplace requirements and incentives. As of the end of July, the 7-day average number of administered vaccine doses reported to the CDC was 615,404, a 16.15% increase from the previous week.

Walgreens announced in early August that it has administered more than 29 million COVID-19 vaccinations across the United States, adding that demand has increased more than 30% in some areas of the country, while testing has more than doubled.

Walgreens also adds that due to an uptick in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, all of the company's U.S. employees now are required to wear face coverings, while all support-office employees must either be vaccinated or enrolled in testing programs. The mandate does not apply to U.S. team members in stores, distribution centers, or other facilities or non-U.S. support offices.

“As always, our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of our team members, customers and patients, and as a company deeply committed to health and wellness, our mission has never been more critical,” said Roz Brewer, CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. “COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective and are critical to stopping the spread of this terrible virus and ensuring all our communities are protected.”

Meanwhile, CVS Chief Executive Karen Lynch said in an interview with Reuters that the company has started seeing an increase in vaccinations, the majority of which are for first doses, since the Delta variant became dominant.

Over the past several weeks, Walgreens reports that states with the most notable recent growth in vaccination rates include:
• Alabama
• Florida
• Georgia
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Tennessee
• Texas

In a press release, Walgreens also advises that demand for COVID-19 testing has also continued to rise dramatically, with testing volume doubling chainwide from June to July. Among the states with the largest increases are Florida, Missouri, and parts of the Gulf Coast; those are up as much as 30% week-over-week.

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