CVS Says Covid-19 Vaccinations Slow -- 3rd Update
04 Mayo 2021 - 1:47PM
Noticias Dow Jones
By Sharon Terlep
CVS Health Corp. said demand for Covid-19 vaccinations has
fallen by about 30% recently as Americans' hesitancy to receive the
shots outweighs expanding eligibility and access.
The pharmacy chain has administered more than 17 million shots,
which are now available at more than 8,300 U.S. locations. Like
rivals, CVS has begun offering walk-in and same-day appointments
for injections in a bid to improve uptake.
"We have kind of passed the wave of people who really wanted to
get it and who signed up," CVS Health Chief Executive Karen Lynch
said. "There is a part of the population that says, 'I'm only going
to get it if it's easy and convenient and if I happen to be in a
place where I can get it.' There are other populations where people
are just afraid."
Stepped-up education on the vaccine's safety and efficacy
alongside improved access are needed to address both issues, she
said.
In the early months of the U.S. vaccine rollout, restrictions on
who could receive a vaccine and short supply of doses prevented
many people from getting shots. Now, many parts of the country are
reporting excess doses and unfilled appointments even as fewer than
60% of American adults have received at least one dose.
Anyone 16 or older is eligible for a vaccine in the U.S., a
change from the months in which only certain groups of people could
get a shot.
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE last month asked U.S. health
regulators to allow their Covid-19 vaccine to be given to
adolescents to extend their shot's use to children 12 years and
older.
On Tuesday, Pfizer reported a surge in first-quarter revenue and
said it expects the vaccine to generate $26 billion in sales this
year. It had previously forecast $15 billion in sales from the
vaccine.
CVS Health said it now expects Covid-19 vaccines to contribute
about 2% to the company's prescription volume growth this year, on
the low end of initial projections of 2% to 3%.
Ms. Lynch said Covid-19 vaccinations and testing are bolstering
the company's business, helping to make up for a weak flu and cold
season. On a conference call, Ms. Lynch said that in April
"vaccinated customers are more actively shopping in CVS locations."
For customers new to the company through Covid testing, she said
the company is seeing around 9% filling a new prescription at a CVS
pharmacy.
Rival Walgreens-Boots Alliance Inc., which offers vaccines at
8,880 locations, said receiving a shot remains too difficult for a
swath of the population.
"One of the biggest criteria is access and convenience," said
Rina Shah, Walgreens vice president for pharmacy operations and
services.
Both CVS and Walgreens, which combined have administered nearly
30 million vaccines, are adding worksite and community clinics as a
way to both improve access and address hesitancy.
Walgreens said it is working with community leaders in areas
where hesitancy is high to encourage people to get shots. CVS is
pumping out educational and marketing materials both through its
stores and its Aetna insurance arm.
CVS on Tuesday said quarterly revenue in the segment that
fulfills medication prescriptions and sells general products rose
2.3% to $23.27 billion, driven by higher Covid-19 testing and
vaccinations. Partly offsetting the gains were lower front-store
revenues.
The pharmacy and insurance giant posted revenue of $69.1
billion, up 3.5%. Same-store sales, or those at retail pharmacy
stores that had been operating for more than one year, rose
0.4%.
Net income totaled $2.22 billion for the first quarter at CVS,
up from $2 billion in the same period last year. Adjusted earnings
were $2.04 a share, above Wall Street estimates.
CVS shares were up more than 4% at midday Tuesday, reaching a
three-year high.
Anna Wilde Matthews and Dave Sebastian contributed to this
article.
Write to Sharon Terlep at sharon.terlep@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 04, 2021 14:32 ET (18:32 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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