CVS adding 15,000 employees ahead of flu season, coronavirus vaccine rollout

CVS Health announced Monday that the company would hire thousands of workers to fill positions ahead of an anticipated rise in coronavirus and seasonal flu cases this fall and the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The company said in a statement that the hirings would take place across the fourth quarter of 2020. Many of the positions are temporary with the potential of being extended to full employment.

“Additional team members typically are needed every flu season,” said Lisa Bisaccia, the company’s top HR official. “However, we’re estimating a much greater need for trained pharmacy technicians this year given the continued presence of COVID-19 in our communities.”

“These jobs offer a rewarding career opportunity, with flexible hours, advancement potential and a supportive environment while helping people on their path to better health,” Bisaccia added.

CVS executives added in the news release that the company was advocating for regulations to be amended to allow for pharmacy technicians to administer vaccines under the supervision of a certified pharmacist, a move CVS argued would “help fill the urgent need to safely and quickly scale distribution of a vaccine and extend the capacity of the health care workforce to address the pandemic.”

“By leveraging CVS Health’s innovation and technology, we can help get more Americans back to work from the convenience of their own homes, where they can contribute to the company’s ongoing efforts to help solve the country’s health care challenges,” said Jeffrey Lackey, CVS’s vice president of talent acquisition.

More than 8 million Americans have been infected with coronavirus since the pandemic began. The White House launched Operation Warp Speed, a program aimed at providing funding and cutting red tape for companies working to develop vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, earlier this year, but it remains unclear if a workable vaccine will finish development in 2020.

Pfizer, a leading company at work developing a COVID-19 vaccine, said in recent days that it would not seek emergency authorization for its vaccine before the election, a possibility that President Trump has raised in recent months.