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Walgreens departs West Virginia vaccine scheduling system

CHARLESTON -- The departure of Walgreens from West Virginia's COVID-19 vaccination scheduling system should have no negative impact, the head of the state's vaccination task force said Wednesday during Gov. Jim Justice's online coronavirus briefing.

In fact, it could be beneficial.

"We needed another parallel path to get to folks, and that's what this is about," said James Hoyer, who has continued to lead the interagency task force overseeing vaccinations since his retirement from the West Virginia National Guard.

Some people who are hesitant to take the COVID-19 vaccine might be more likely to do so based on the advice of a trusted pharmacist or physician, he said.

"Some people are not going to sign up centrally," Hoyer said.

A West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources spokeswoman said Wednesday that the task force "agreed to allow Walgreens to transition to their existing scheduling platform."

A request for additional information on the move from Walgreens had not been answered as of Wednesday evening.

Hoyer said additional vaccine doses are provided to Walgreens in West Virginia as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, so the change won't affect the number of vaccines the state receives. People who got their first inoculations from Walgreens will be contacted by the pharmacy for their second doses.

"You'll still be tracked by … the Walgreens pharmacy that did your first dose," he said, adding that the company continues to coordinate with state officials.

During the briefing, Justice noted some slight increases in West Virginia's COVID statistics, including hospitalizations climbing back to near 200, active cases at 5,206 and 34 deaths reported in the last two days.

"All across America, we're starting to see this thing heat back up in different places," he said. "It is not gone. We have to learn to live with it."

Asked if he thought too many things had been reopened too soon, Justice said he believes the state has handled the situation appropriately but must continue to "manage it from a fluid standpoint." He stood by his decision to continue the mask mandate, saying the restriction should not be lifted as a "macho move" or "political statement."

Although 136,650 West Virginians age 65 and older have been fully vaccinated, officials said those who registered but have not been contacted for an appointment should call the state vaccine information line at 1-833-734-0965. DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch said they recently learned of a 105-year-old resident who had signed up but wasn't contacted and found out his birth date had inadvertently been registered as 2016 instead of 1916.

Justice said nearly 60 percent of residents 65 and older have been vaccinated but the state can't be content with that.

"If in fact we still have people out there, especially our elderly … that are trying to get in the system, we have just got to do better," he said.

Also during the briefing, Justice announced the COVID-19 surge facility at St. Francis Hospital in Charleston would be shutting down, after opening in August. The decision was based on recent COVID statistics, but Justice said they could utilize the facility again if necessary.

The governor recognized Wednesday as the one-year anniversary of the state's first positive COVID-19 test.

"It surely brings back a lot, a lot, a lot of tough days," he said.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.