The United States of America recently inaugurated Joe Biden as the 46th president. The new administration has new responsibilities and issues to deal with. One important issue is the coronavirus pandemic, which has taken the lives of 410,000 Americans and unleashed a recession according to The Washington Post. President Biden has promised to be more rigorous in dealing with the pandemic, with his goal to vaccinate 100 million Americans in the first 100 days of his administration.
The governor of Washington state, Jay Inslee, has called on Washington-based companies like Starbucks and Microsoft to help with the vaccine rollout. Other companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Costco can also help with vaccine administration around the country. A big initiative like this needs to be supported by big corporations. These corporations serve millions of people every day, therefore they have the reach as well as the logistical experience.
Starbucks offers operational efficiency, scalable modeling, and a human-centered design experience since it sells its coffee around the world. Costco can ensure the administration of the vaccines through its pharmacies. Similarly, Walmart will deliver the vaccines through its pharmacies. These big-box retailers’ pharmacies already have trained staff that can help in a faster rollout. Microsoft will offer its tech expertise and support. Last but not least, Amazon could leverage its operations, information technology, and communication capabilities to assist with the vaccination efforts.
With each corporation leveraging its resources and capabilities in every state, the number of vaccinations could increase. Walmart is set to administer 5,000 vaccines per day at U.S. locations. Amazon will set up a pop-up clinic at its headquarters in Seattle to administer 2,000 vaccines per day to the public. Moreover, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Costco will use their expertise and partner with health officials to achieve the state’s goal of 45,000 daily vaccinations.
Pharmacies and grocery chains like CVS, Kroger, Rite Aid, and Walgreens are also playing a role in vaccine distribution, either through their own pharmacies or through government partnerships at locations such as long-term care facilities.
Will the same corporations start vaccinating people here in Canada, or will we rely on Canadian corporations?
References:
1) Kingkade, T., & Gosk, S. (2021, January 19). Washington state taps Starbucks for help with Covid vaccine rollout. Retrieved January 22, 2021, from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/washington-state-taps-starbucks-help-covid-vaccine-rollout-n1254607
2) Telford, T. (2021, January 22). Walmart, Starbucks, Amazon and other corporate giants moving to speed up coronavirus vaccine rollout. Retrieved January 22, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/01/22/retailers-coronavirus-vaccine-distribution/
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