Biden invokes Defense Production Act to increase infant formula supply
Empty shelves show a shortage of baby formula at CVS in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. May 10. Baby formula aisles at U.S. supermarkets have been decimated since top U.S. manufacturer Abbott Laboratories in February recalled formulas after complaints of bacterial infections. The White House said Biden was invoking the Defense Production Act to ensure manufacturers have the ingredients to make safe formula. “The president is requiring suppliers to direct needed resources to infant formula manufacturers before any other customer who may have ordered that good,” the White House said. In addition, he launched “Operation Fly Formula” to hasten imports of infant formula and get more formula to stores quickly.
arabamericannews.comWhat we know about new efforts to ease formula shortage in Michigan
The desperate search for formula has been frustrating for so many families across the United States, so on Tuesday, we hit several stores in Metro Detroit. While store shelves were empty at most locations, we did hear some more product is on the way at select CVS locations.
Baby formula shortage has Walmart, Target, CVS limiting purchases
A spokesperson for Walmart told the Journal shoppers are now only allowed to buy five containers of formula each day in stores. There doesn’t appear to be limits on purchases make on Walmart’s online marketplace, however. Online purchases appear to be capped at four items. Shoppers at Walgreens and CVS are limited to three infant and toddler formula products per each transaction, according to the reports. The shortages come after manufacturer Abbott recalled powdered formulas made in a Michigan plant after they were linked with bacterial infections at two deaths.
mlive.com900 CVS stores to close over next 3 years
CVS Health will close hundreds of U.S. store locations over the next three years, the drug store chain announced. In a statement, CVS said it will close 300 stores per year over the next three years with shutdowns starting in spring 2022. Exact locations have not been announced and the statement noted CVS “is committed to offering impacted colleagues roles in other locations or different opportunities as part of its overall workforce strategy.”CVS said the closures come after evaluating changes in population, consumer buying patterns and future health needs. “Our retail stores are fundamental to our strategy and who we are as a company,” said Karen S. Lynch, president and CEO of CVS Health. CVS operates more than 10,000 stores across the U.S.
mlive.comConcerts, doughnuts and cash: Some of the incentives you can get for getting vaccinated in Illinois and the rest of the country
CVS is giving away a trip to Bermuda as well as other prizes. The City of Chicago is teaming up with barbershops and hair salons and offering free haircuts. You can win a free flight from United Airlines. There are all also free donuts and french fries out there. All of this for getting vaccinated for COVID-19, and in some cases, showing proof of vaccination.
chicagotribune.comReport: CVS and Walgreens have wasted over 128,000 COVID doses, more than most states combined
CVS and Walgreens, two pharmacy chains that have worked with the federal government to administer COVID-19 vaccines, wasted more doses than most states combined, per government data obtained by Kaiser Health News.Why it matters: The wasted doses raise questions about the efficacy of the vaccine rollout, especially now as the U.S. starts sending extra doses to India and other COVID-stricken countries.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeBy the numbers: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 182,874 wasted doses as of late March, per KHN.CVS accounted for nearly half of the doses, while Walgreens was responsible for 21% — nearly 128,500 wasted shots altogether.Pfizer made up nearly 60% of wasted doses.The other side: Walgreens did not immediately return Axios' request for comment, but CVS spokesperson Mike DeAngelis said in an emailed statement the waste is a product of "transportation restrictions, limitations on redirecting unused doses, and other factors.""Despite the inherent challenges, our teams were able to limit waste to approximately one dose per onsite vaccination clinic," he added."Vaccine waste in our retail stores is extremely limited, accounting for less than 0.1% of vaccine doses we’ve administered at retail, so less than 1 in 1000 doses have been wasted." DeAngelis A CDC spokesperson said "a higher percentage of the overall waste would not be expected," given early vaccination efforts heavily depended on the two pharmacies, KHN reports.Another caveat: KHN's findings are based on CDC data that does not include reports from 15 states, D.C. and multiple U.S. territories. The big picture: The U.S. has administered over 247 million vaccines, according to the CDC. Experts say it's important to track wasted doses to help identify where officials might need to make distribution adjustments, per KHN.Any waste is essentially "throwing [taxpayer] money down the chute," Bruce Y. Lee, professor of health policy and management at the City University of New York, told KHN.Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have limited shelf lives.The bottom line: "One thing is clear: Months into the nation’s vaccination drive, the CDC has a limited view of how much vaccine is going to waste, where it's wasted and who is wasting it, potentially complicating efforts to direct doses to where they are needed most," KHN writes. Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from DeAngelis.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
news.yahoo.comCVS expands COVID-19 vaccination appointments in Michigan: How to register
CVS has expanded locations offering the COVID-19 vaccine in Michigan. How to register:You must register in advance right here (click here) -- there will be a link to Michigan under the “Vaccine available in select CVS Pharmacy locations” dropdown. You can also do this through the CVS Pharmacy app. More: Looking for COVID-19 vaccines in Metro Detroit: Track openings, clinics, appointmentsAdRelated:How to schedule COVID vaccine appointment at Rite Aid in MichiganMeijer has COVID-19 vaccination clinics at stores across Michigan. The state of Michigan announced Friday, March 12 that every resident 16 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 5.
Blog: Local 4 meteorologist Brandon Roux’s takeaways on his COVID vaccination experience
I presented my appointment information to security outside of Ford Field Gate A and told them my son didn’t have an appointment. We both felt fine and when our time elapsed, we left Ford Field. Local 4's Brandon Roux after he received his first COVID-19 vaccine dose at Ford Field. Ford Field! Local 4's Brandon Roux and his son, Christian, received their first COVID-19 vaccine doses at Ford Field.
Vaccine eligibility expands, Michiganders 50+, 16+ with medical conditions eligible
DETROIT – The effort to get to get Michiganders vaccinated picks up steam Monday when hundreds of thousands of people will become eligible to get their shot. READ: Michigan COVID vaccine eligibility expands Monday: What to knowStarting Monday, those 50 and older and those 16 and older with preexisting conditions or disabilities will be eligible to get vaccinated everywhere in the state -- increasing the eligibility by more than half a million people. AdREAD: ‘Hope is on the horizon,’ -- Ford Field begins scheduling COVID vaccinationsAbout 124 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the United States. The country is averaging 2.4 million doses daily. More info: Local 4′s Dr. Frank McGeorge answers COVID vaccine question
How to schedule COVID vaccine appointment at CVS in Michigan
Appointments will become available for booking on Friday, March 19, as stores receive shipments of vaccine doses, CVS said. How to register:You must register in advance right here (click here) -- there will be a link to Michigan under the “Vaccine available in select CVS Pharmacy locations” dropdown. Related:How to schedule COVID vaccine appointment at Rite Aid in MichiganMeijer has COVID-19 vaccination clinics at stores across Michigan. By April 5, 2021, all areas of the state may, as vaccine supplies are available, implement vaccination of all people aged 16 and up who were not previously eligible. The state of Michigan announced Friday, March 12 that every resident 16 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 5.
CVS to offer COVID-19 vaccine in select Michigan stores starting March 21
Appointments will become available for booking on Friday, March 19, as stores receive shipments of vaccine doses, CVS said. How you will be able to register:You must register in advance right here (click here) -- there will be a link to Michigan under the “Vaccine available in select CVS Pharmacy locations” dropdown. Related:How to schedule COVID vaccine appointment at Rite Aid in MichiganMeijer has COVID-19 vaccination clinics at stores across Michigan. The state of Michigan announced Friday, March 12 that every resident 16 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 5. Moreover, starting March 22 people aged 16 and up who have disabilities and/or medical conditions, as well as their caregiver family members and guardians, will be eligible for the vaccine.
How a CVS closure impacts COVID vaccination efforts for seniors in Highland Park
HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. – Efforts to vaccinate citizens against COVID-19 are underway in Highland Park. Highland Park Mayor Hubert Yopp said people were supposed to be vaccinated at a Highland Park CVS, but the CVS has closed. According to a communications director with CVS, the Highland Park store did not renew its lease and closed on Jan. 2. We made the difficult business decision to not renew the lease for our Highland Park store and it closed on January 2. All employees at our Highland Park store who wanted to remain with CVS were transferred to one of our other locations.
Michigan reps. concerned over COVID vaccine rollout to pharmacies
The White House has selected specific pharmacies in each state to receive and administer coronavirus vaccines to help ramp up vaccine distribution. See: What we know about the process of getting COVID-19 vaccine doses to pharmacies“Statewide, 20,000 doses are going to Ride Aid pharmacies -- 200 stores across the state. So that’s only going to leave 100 doses per store,” said Andrew Cox, director of the Macomb County Health Department. Macomb County is a large Michigan county with a large senior and vulnerable adult population. Last week, the state gave Macomb County about 7,300 doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
Biden boosting vaccine allotments, financing for virus costs
Starting next week, 1 million doses will be distributed to some 6,500 pharmacies across the country, the White House said. The administration is also boosting by 500,000 the weekly allocation of vaccines sent directly to states and territories for the coming weeks, up to 10.5 million. It is allowing state and local governments to receive additional federal dollars to cover previously incurred expenses relating to the pandemic. The number of participating pharmacies and the allocation of vaccines are expected to accelerate as drug makers increase production. The Biden administration has sought to increase certainty to state governments on their upcoming allocations to streamline deliveries and prevent stockpiling of second doses for the two-dose regimens.
Report: Many US nursing home staff decline first COVID shots
The CDC looked at more than 11,000 nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities that had at least one vaccination clinic between the middle of December and the middle of January. Data previously showed that people who work in nursing homes and long-term care facilities get flu vaccines at lower rates than other health-care workers. Surveys suggest that long-term care workers are skeptical the shots work and don't think viruses spread easily from them to the people they care for. The government tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering the shots to long-term care homes in nearly every state. Each vaccine requires two shots a few weeks apart, and CVS and Walgreens say they have wrapped up first-dose clinics in nursing homes.
'Little old West Virginia' sets pace on vaccine rollout
More shots have gone into people’s arms per capita across West Virginia than in any other state, with at least 7.4% of the population receiving the first of two shots, according to state data. “Little old West Virginia, that was thought of for hundreds of years, you know, as a place where maybe we were backward or dark or dingy,” Justice said last week. Instead, it turns out that “West Virginia has been the diamond in the rough,” Justice said on CBS’ "Face the Nation" on Sunday. The federal partnership involving both companies would have allowed Washington officials to dictate the terms of nursing home vaccinations, said Marty Wright, the head of the West Virginia Health Care Association, which represents health care companies. The governor wants in-person learning to resume at as many schools as possible by Tuesday, long before teachers will have received their second vaccine doses.
CVS to administer COVID-19 vaccines at long-term care facilities
DETROIT – CVS Health announced it is launching a nationwide effort to help vaccinate thousands of staff and residents at long-term care facilities against COVID-19. That includes nearly 1,000 facilities in Michigan. READ: MDHHS using 2 ‘core, science-based ideas’ to decide what should reopen, remain closed in MichiganAfter healthcare workers on the frontlines are vaccinated, next up with be seniors and staff members at long-term care facilities. CVS will be vaccinating the elderly and staff members at nearly a thousand locations. Across the state, there are roughly 5,000 long-term care facilities with about 200,000 residents and staff.
California hospitals discuss rationing care as virus surges
Plans for rationing care are not in place yet, but they need to be established because “the worst is yet to come,” said Los Angeles County's health services director, Dr. Christina Ghaly. Until then, four hospitals run by Los Angeles County are weighing what to do if they cannot treat everyone because of a shortage of beds or staffers. Some hospitals have canceled non-essential elective surgeries, such as hip replacements, that might take up beds that could soon be needed for COVID-19 patients. Scientists are working to determine whether the strain spreads more easily, said Moncef Slaoui, the chief science adviser for the U.S. government’s COVID-19 vaccine effort. Bill Lee on Sunday announced new social gathering restrictions while still refusing to implement a mask mandate despite pleas from front-line health care workers.
EXPLAINER: What to know about COVID-19 vaccination in the US
Dr. Michelle Chester draws the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York. Even with vaccination, you'll still need to take precautions, like wearing a mask and social distancing, health officials say. Once doses are widely available, people should be able to use an existing government website, www.vaccinefinder.org, to find COVID-19 shots. The panel also suggests avoiding getting other vaccinations for two weeks before and after a COVID-19 shot. COVID-19 vaccines can’t be mixed and matched, so if a second dose is needed, providers will be checking to make sure you get the right one.
Answering questions about COVID-19 vaccine efforts in Michigan
DETROIT – We know many of you understandably still have a lot of questions about the vaccine. The number one question among viewers is about how they will know when to get the vaccine. The short answer is the state health department and the governor will announce when we can move to the next phases of vaccination and which groups that will include. Right now, the first shots are designated for frontline health care workers and nursing home staff and residents. The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 437,985 as of Monday, including 10,752 deaths, state officials report.
Man hit, killed while walking into CVS store in Farmington
FARMINGTON, Mich. – Farmington police are investigating a fatal crash that occurred at the CVS store near the intersection of Farmington Road and Grand River. “It was around 4:30 p.m. today (Friday) when we got a number of calls in regard to an accident,” said Farmington Public Safety Director Frank Demers. “Backing out of the parking spot, her foot went from the brake to the accelerator. We think the vehicle probably went back about 20 feet before making contact with the victim who was walking into the store,” said Demers. “People did what they could to help.”Police said they don’t believe drugs or alcohol played a factor.
Amazon opens online pharmacy, shaking up another industry
The retail colossus opened an online pharmacy Tuesday that allows customers to order medication or prescription refills, and have them delivered to their front door in a couple of days. All have upped online services and touted their abilities to deliver prescriptions and other goods as the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed more consumers to stay home. The company said its online pharmacy will offer commonly prescribed medications in the U.S., including creams, pills, as well as medications that need to stay refrigerated, like insulin. They can also get discounts at 50,000 physical pharmacies around the country at Costco, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and other stores. Two years ago, it spent $750 million to buy online pharmacy PillPack, which organizes medication in packets by what time and day they need to be taken.
Feds planning now to get coronavirus shots to nursing homes
Under the voluntary program, trained staff from CVS and Walgreens would deliver the vaccines to each nursing home and administer shots. The nation has 15,000-16,000 nursing homes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The use of retail chain pharmacies has prompted some concerns, because nursing homes typically deal with specialized pharmacies and not the big drugstores catering to consumers. Mango said the plan would accommodate nursing homes that want to continue to work with specialized pharmacies. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the program will “provide convenient and free vaccination to residents of nursing homes across America.”
Hawaii to allow travelers to skip quarantine with virus test
David Ige said Wednesday that starting Oct. 15, travelers arriving from out of state may bypass a 14-day quarantine requirement if they test negative for COVID-19. Travelers will have to take the test within 72 hours before their flight arrives in the islands. Earlier this year Ige planned to start a pre-travel testing program on Aug. 1 only to have to postpone it as COVID-19 cases spiked on the U.S. mainland and in Hawaii. Hawaii leaders are hopeful that pre-travel testing will encourage people to return to a Hawaii in a way that keeps residents safe. “I want to emphasize that this pre-travel testing will allow us to add a greater element of safety for travel into our state,” Ige said at a news conference.
Judge rejects pharmacy chains' bid to toss opioid suits
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)CLEVELAND Lawsuits filed by two Ohio counties against retail pharmacy chains claiming their opioid dispensing practices flooded communities with pain pills and were a a public nuisance can continue, a federal judge in Cleveland has determined. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster rejected the pharmacy chains' motion to dismiss the suits, ruling Thursday that the Ohio law does indeed apply to Lake and Trumbull counties' nuisance claims. Polster is overseeing more than 2,000 lawsuits filed by local governments, tribal authorities and others against companies they blame for fueling an opioid epidemic that has killed 430,000 people since 2000. The two northeast Ohio counties' lawsuits against CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart and Giant Eagle were the first to target retail pharmacy chains as both distributors and dispensers of painkillers. Those claims seek damages from the retail chains as distributors of painkillers but not as dispensers.
CVS posts strong 2Q, with virus delaying elective procedures
Customers line up at a drive thru self-swab coronavirus test site at a local CVS Pharmacy Sunday, June 14, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)CVS Health is reporting surprisingly strong second-quarter earnings in part due to postponed elective medical procedures during the pandemic, and it raised its profit expectations for the year. For the three months ended June 30, CVS earned $2.99 billion, or $2.26 per share. Adjusted for one-time gains and costs, earnings were $2.64 per share. CVS said Wednesday that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lower benefit costs due to the deferral of elective procedures and other discretionary use of its health care benefits segment.
Arizona governor facing pressure to act as virus cases surge
The Arizona Department of Health Services posted on its website Monday another 1,104 cases of COVID-19 and eight additional deaths, bringing the statewide total number of coronavirus cases to 36,705 and related deaths to 1,194. Doug Ducey to take steps like requiring masks in public to slow a major increase in new coronavirus cases that has made the state a national hot spot. Arizona hospitals were treating a record number of coronavirus patients Tuesday amid a surge of new cases. The state's Health Services Department reported a record number of emergency room visits for the virus as well. #MaskUpAZ.During a news briefing last week where he pushed back on questions about a mask mandate, the governor insisted that the state's hospitals, while filling up, had the capacity to treat any expected surge in virus patients.
US stocks wobble as investors focus on latest earnings
NEW YORK, NY U.S. stocks wobbled between small gains and losses in early trading Wednesday and major indexes hovered around record highs as investors digested the latest batch of corporate earnings. Investors have been focusing on mostly solid corporate earnings and encouraging economic reports over the last several weeks. Drugstore operator CVS and kidney dialysis provider DaVita both made strong gains following solid earnings reports. The Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks fell 0.3%. INSURANCE PAYOFF: CVS Health rose 4.9% after reporting surprisingly good third-quarter earnings with some help from its insurance unit.
Detroit police search for man wanted in CVS robbery on city's east side
DETROIT - Detroit police are searching for a man wanted in connection with a CVS robbery on the city's east side. Police said the man walked into the CVS in the 10600 block of Gratiot Avenue around 10:50 a.m. Aug. 23. The cashier put money in a CVS bag, police said. Authorities said it's unclear if the man had a weapon, but he had his hand in his pocket, appearing to have one. Anyone with information is asked to call Detroit police at 313-596-5540 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
Walgreens will close about 200 US stores
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - Walgreens will close about 200 locations across the United States as part of its plan to cut costs. After buying roughly half of Rite Aid's stores two years ago, Walgreens expanded its American footprint to more than 9,500 stores. The planned closures represent less than 3% of Walgreens locations. Walgreens did not provide a list of the stores that it plans to close. Parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance announced in June it would close 200 of its more than 2,400 Boots stores in the United Kingdom.
Eastpointe police seek women who stole $1,200 worth of hygiene products from CVS
Eastpointe police are seeking three women wanted in connection with retail theft at CVS on July 10, 2019. (WDIV)EASTPOINTE, Mich. - Eastpointe police are looking for three women who stole about $1,200 worth of hygiene products from CVS on July 10. Police said the women went into the store at 18640 9 Mile Road at 9:30 p.m. and stuffed the items into their purses. She told police she loaned the car to cousin, who loaned it to the women. Anyone with information about the women's identities is asked to call police at 586-445-5100, ext.
Woman accused of using credit card stolen from car to make purchase at Garden City CVS
GARDEN CITY, Mich. - A woman is accused of stealing a credit card from a car and using it to make a purchase at a CVS in Garden City, police said. The woman walked into the CVS store at Ford and Inkster roads in Garden City around 2:10 a.m. Sunday, according to authorities. She used a credit card that had been stolen about an hour before to make a purchase, police said. The card had not yet been reported stolen, so the charges went through, officials said. The woman was about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and was wearing pink print pajama shorts, gray shoes and a gray zip-up hooded sweatshirt with the hood up.
Altaire Pharmaceuticals recalls eye care products sold at CVS
Mandel Ngan/AFP/AFP/Getty ImagesDETROIT - Altaire Pharmaceuticals has issued a recall for several eye care products sold at CVS. The recall is precautionary, and the company has not received any reports of issues due to the ophthalmic products, according to officials. The recall was issued due to concerns about quality assurance at the manufacturing facility. Click here to view a list of the affected products. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.
Watch Local 4 News at Noon -- May 25, 2017
DETROIT - Here's what's coming up on Local 4 News at Noon (watch the full episode above).16-year-old boy shot by Detroit police in attempted robbery at CVS on city's west sideDetroit police confirm they received a call of an armed robbery in progress. Once on scene they confronted at least two of the suspected robbers inside the store. 4th day of trial for driver accused of hitting, killing Michigan trooper Chad Wolf on I-75The trial continues Thursday for a man accused of hitting and killing Michigan State police trooper Chad Wolf. Charles Warren, of Waterford, is accused of hitting Wolf and dragging him under a trailer for miles Aug. 28, 2015 on Interstate 75 while Wolf was on patrol with his department-issued motorcycle. At NATO, Trump facing new questions about intel sharingPresident Donald Trump arrived at NATO headquarters here Thursday facing renewed questions about the security of intelligence shared with the United States.