COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Two Ohio grocery chains are part of Phase 1B of the state’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, which began Monday.
NBC4 investigative reporter Jamie Ostroff noted that the chances of getting an appointment with Kroger or Giant Eagle are slim.
Kroger’s website offers an online form to book a vaccine appointment in participating stores. Amy McCormick, a spokeswoman for Kroger’s Columbus area, said all appointments in the area were booked starting Monday afternoon.
Map: Find your Central Ohio County’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Schedule
McCormick said participating stores were informed Monday that they would each receive a shipment of 100 doses of vaccine on Tuesday, meaning those doses will be given “at the earliest” on Wednesday afternoon.
Beyond the initial 100 doses, McCormick said the company doesn’t know when the next vaccine shipments will arrive or how many doses they will contain.
After searching several Kroger locations online late Monday afternoon, Ostroff was able to find an open appointment in the Columbus area on Friday afternoon. McCormick said the opening was likely due to a cancellation resulting from a booking made by someone who had not qualified for the current vaccination stage, which covers members of the public aged 80 and over.
Kroger also offers a COVID-19 hotline for all locations at 866-211-5320.
Several Giant Eagle stores in central Ohio are also listed as vaccination sites. While Giant Eagle’s website states that Phase 1B will begin on Monday, information on how to book an appointment is not yet available.
“We will give you information on how to plan your vaccination in the coming days. Please try again, ”it says on the website.
In an email to NBC4, Giant Eagle spokesman Brock Schmaltz said, “We are in the process of finalizing our detailed vaccination plans. We will have an update for you tomorrow. “
According to Schmaltz, vaccines won’t be available in Giant Eagle pharmacies until later in the week.
