In partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), all 33 Big Y Pharmacy and Wellness Centers are preparing to administer the COVID-19 vaccines once approved and available for distribution. This partnership is being established in anticipation that one or more COVID-19 vaccines will be authorized and approved for use in the U.S. as part of the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Strategy for COVID-19.
This initiative by the HHS with pharmacies across the U.S. is part of the federal pharmacy program aimed to further increase access to the vaccines. The partnership has deemed pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns in retail and grocery stores as being crucial public health partners for increasing access and convenience of COVID-19 vaccines.
Big Y’s pharmacy team currently provides seasonal flu and other routine vaccines. They plan to participate in any additional training to ensure the safe administration of the vaccine along with educating their customers about the process.
According to Charles L. D’Amour, Big Y president and CEO, “We are proud to partner with the U.S. government in order to provide free COVID-19 vaccines to our customers. When a vaccine is available, our pharmacy teams will be ready to administer them as per CDC guidelines.”
Big Y Foods Inc. is one of the largest independently-owned supermarket chains in New England. Big Y operates 85 locations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut including 71 supermarkets, Fresh Acres Market, Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors and 12 Big Y Express gas and convenience locations with almost 12,000 employees. Founded in 1936 by brothers Paul and Gerald D’Amour, the store was named after an intersection in Chicopee, Massachusetts, where two roads converge to form a “Y.”
