Walmart, Sam’s Club pharmacies in Kansas to dispense COVID-19 pills
Company says the medication is only available with a prescription from a health care provider
Updated: 12:17 PM CST Dec 30, 2021
THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENOFT HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICES SAYS, THE OMICRON VARIANT IS SPREANGDI RAPIDLY IN THE SHOW ME STATE. SOME HEALTH EXPERTS PREDTIC RECORD HIGH CASE NUMBERS WITHIN WEEKS. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE ONL13Y LAB-CONFIRMED CASES OFHE T VARIANT GHRIT NOW, EXPERTS THINK THOSE NUMBERS ARE A GROSS UNDERSTATEMENT OF ITS SPRE.AD RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND TRACES OF THE VARIANT IN MORE THAN 3OF0 THE STATE’S SEWER SYSTEMS. THEY’VE BEEN TESTING WASTEWATER TO FD INTHE VIRUS FOR A WHILE NOW. CURRENT RESEARCH TEAMS PREDICT OMICRON WILL PUSH THE DELTA VARIANT OUT OF THE STATE BY NEXT MOH.NT >> I DO EXPECT OMICRON TO PROBABLY, BY SOMETIME IN JANUARY, HAVE PRETTY MUCH MOVED OUT DELTA. HALEY: THE STATE’S HETHAL DIRECTOR SAYS THERE IS SOME GOOD NE.WS THERE WAS A SPIKE IN VACCINATIONS JUST BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS. 32,000 DOSES WERE DOLEDUT O ON DECEMBER 3, THE MOST SINCE EARLY MAY, ACCORDING TO STATE NUMBER. FLAGS ACROSS KANSAS ARE AT HALF STAFF RIGHT NOW TO HONOR THE MORE THAN 7,000 KANSANS WHO’VE DIED FROM COVID-19. GOVERNOR LAURA KELLY ORDERED ALL FLAGS TO REMAN LOWERED THROUGH SUNDOWN TOMORROW. SHE ENCOURAGES ALL KANSANS TO GET VACCINATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE’RE SEEING PROMISG INNUMBSER CLOSE TO HOME AS VACCINATION RATES ARE SLIGHTLY RISING. NUMBERS FROM THE MID-AMERICA REGIONAL COUNCIL SHOW JOHNSON COUNTY KANSAS HAS THE HIGHEST RATE, WITH MORE THAN 70%F O PEOPLE FULLY VACCINATED. IN MISSOURI, JACKSON COUNTY, AND PLATTE COUNTY HAVE THE HIGHEST RATES, WITMOH RE THAN 53% OF PEOPLE FULLY VACCINAD.TE MISSOURI GOVERNOR MIKE PARSON SAYS MISSOURISI MAKING GOOD PROGRESS ON VACCINATIONS. HE ALSO SAYS MISSOURIANS ARE AGAINST VACCINE MANDATES AND WANT TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES. >> BUT NOBODY IS GOING TO FORCE ANYBODY TO TAKE A VACCINE IN THIS STATE. THAT IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO IT BECAUSE WE KNOW IT WORKS. HALEY: YOU CAN FIND A LIST OF FREE TESTING SITES ON THE STATE’S WEBSITE, HEALTH.MO.GOV/COMMUNITYTEST. TOP INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR ANTHONY FAUCI SAYS RIGHT NOW, HIS TEAM DOESN’T THINK IT’S NECESSARY TO ADD A VACCINE REQUIREMENT FOR AIRLINE TRAVEL WITHIN THE U.S., BUT HE SAYS IT’S NOT COMPLETELY OFF THE TAE.BL DR. FAUCI: RIGHTOW N, WE FEEL THAT THE MASKING REQUIREMENTND A THE DEGREE OF FILTRATION ON A PLANISE SUFFICIENT TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. HOWEVER, AS IS VERY CLEARLY THE SECA, FOR DOMESTIC TRAVELRS, AS I MENTIONED, WE WANT TO KEEP THEMAF SE, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THEYEQ RUIREMENT ACHIEVES THAT GOAL. IF THERE IS A NEED TDOO MORE BEYOND TSHI MASKI,NG MAINLY, HAVING A VACCINE ISSUE, WE WILL SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THAT AS NEW INFORMATN IOARISES. HALEY: DR. FAUCI ADS EVERYONE NEEDS TO KEEP AN OPEN MINASD THE IMPACT OF THE VIRUS RAPIDLY CHANGES. TESTING IS STILL VERY MUCH A CHALLENGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. YOU HAVE MORPEE OPLE WANTING TO KNOW IF THEY HAVE THE VIRUS, BUT IN MANY CASES, THEY CAN’T FIND A TE.ST AIXA DIAZ IS IN OUR WASHINGTON BUREAU TO SHOW US WHAT’S BEING DONE. AIXA: THE FDA HAS JUST APPROVED TWO NEW AT-HOME TESTS TO INCREASE SUPPLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. BUT IT’S UNCLEAR HOW QUICYKL AMERICANS WILL BE ABLE TO GET THEIR HANDS ON MORE TESTS THWI DEMAND SO HIGH RIGHT NOW. BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC TO GET TESTED IN NORTH CAROLINA. SIMILAR SCESEN PLAYING OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS MORE AMERICANS WANT TO KNOW IF THEY’RE INFECTED WITH COVID9.-1 >> I DESCRIBED IT AS THE HUNRGE GAMES, AND I REALLY MEAN IT. IT IS NOT WHERE WE SHOULD BE GOING IONT YEAR THREE OF THIS PANDEMIC, AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION CAN DO A LOT MORE. AIXA: AT THE ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT’S WORKING TO RAMP SUPUPPLY AND MORE TESTS AVAILABLE. STARTING NEXT MONTH, THE WHITE HOUSSAE YS THE GOVERNMENT WILL START MAILING OUT TESTTOS AMERICANS WHO WANT TM.HE >> THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING A LOT. WE HAVE THE NEED TO DO MORE, AND THIS WEEK. WE HAVE A HALF BILLION MORE RAPID TESTS COMING IN THE MONTH OF JANUA.RY AIXA: THE CDC DIRECTOR ALSO DEFENDING NEW GUIDANCE THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO LEAVE QUARANTI ANEFTER FIVE DAYS WITHOUT TESTING NEGATIVE FIRST. >> WE ACTUALLY DON’T KNOW HOW OUR RAPID TESTS PERFORM AND HOW WELL THEY PREDICT WHETHER YOU’RE TRANSMISSIBLE DURING THE END OF DISEASE. AIXA: THE CDC DOES RECOMMEND TAKING A RAPID TEST IF YOU’VE BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID OR IF YOU START FEELING SYMPTOMS TO FIND OUT IF YOU ARE POSITIVE. THEY SAY THOSE FIRST DAYS OF INFECTION ARE THE MOST CONT
Walmart, Sam’s Club pharmacies in Kansas to dispense COVID-19 pills
Company says the medication is only available with a prescription from a health care provider
Updated: 12:17 PM CST Dec 30, 2021
Walmart said its pharmacies and Sam’s Club pharmacies in Kansas will begin dispensing the authorized COVID-19 antiviral medication, Paxlovid and Molnupiravir starting Thursday.The company said in a news release that select Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies are receiving limited supplies of the oral COVID-19 medication. The medication is only available with a prescription from a health care provider. Customers and health care providers can go to https://www.walmart.com/covidmedication and use the store locator to find the nearest store that is carrying the pills to send the electronic prescription. Since the COVID-19 antiviral medications are prescribed to those with COVID-19, the company said it will only be available at Walmart and Sam’s Club by curbside pickup or through drive-thru pharmacy windows.
Walmart said its pharmacies and Sam’s Club pharmacies in Kansas will begin dispensing the authorized COVID-19 antiviral medication, Paxlovid and Molnupiravir starting Thursday.
The company said in a news release that select Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies are receiving limited supplies of the oral COVID-19 medication. The medication is only available with a prescription from a health care provider.
Customers and health care providers can go to https://www.walmart.com/covidmedication and use the store locator to find the nearest store that is carrying the pills to send the electronic prescription.
Since the COVID-19 antiviral medications are prescribed to those with COVID-19, the company said it will only be available at Walmart and Sam’s Club by curbside pickup or through drive-thru pharmacy windows.