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CVS to add 3,200 jobs in Texas while Walgreens pays retention bonuses ahead of the flu season

Across all its stores in the U.S., CVS is hiring 25,000 more people starting this month.

The two largest U.S. drugstore chains say they’re gearing up for the demands of an unpredictable flu season on top of the ongoing pandemic.

CVS said Monday that it plans to hire 25,000 people nationwide, including 3,200 in Texas, as it prepares for the flu season and continues COVID-19 vaccinations and tests. The newly announced jobs are in addition to 50,000 employees hired since March 2020 to support CVS’ initial response to the pandemic.

Its chief rival, Walgreens, is paying one-time bonuses this month of $1,250 to pharmacists and $1,000 to part-time pharmacists. Walgreens pharmacy technicians who are certified or become certified to administer flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines will get a $1,000 six-month retention bonus.

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“Every flu season, we need additional team members,” said Neela Montgomery, president of CVS Pharmacy. “But this year we’re looking for even more. With the continued presence of COVID-19 in our communities, we’re estimating a much greater need for pharmacists, trained pharmacy technicians, nurses and retail store associates.”

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There are still millions of Americans who haven’t received their first dosage of the COVID-19 vaccine. On Friday, a committee of outside experts who advise the Food and Drug Administration recommended booster shots for those who are 65 or older or at high risk of severe disease.

Dr. Francis Collins, the National Institutes of Health director, on Sunday predicted broader approval of booster shots for most Americans “in the next few weeks.”

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“I think there will be a decision in the coming weeks to extend boosters beyond the list that they approved on Friday,” Collins said during an appearance on CBS’ Face the Nation.

The FDA will consider the advisory group’s advice and make its own decision, probably within days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also set to weigh in this week.

Flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccinations can be given at the same time, and September and October are generally good times to get flu shots, according to the CDC’s website. The CDC has said the composition of the flu vaccines has been updated for the 2021-22 flu season. It recommends annual flu shots for everyone 6 months and older with a few exceptions.

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Walgreens said it will administer flu and COVID-19 shots at the same time as people return to in-person activities during an unpredictable flu season, saying the single visit “will help reduce community spread of illnesses.”

Drugstores weren’t always set up to administer vaccines, but the practice gained approvals across all states in the years after the 2009-10 H1N1 swine flu outbreak that killed 10,000 Americans.

CVS has scheduled a one-day hiring event for Friday to offer jobs to pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses and retail store staff. Full-time, part-time and temporary jobs are available.

There will be no onsite applications or interviews. CVS said it’s using its technology for appointments for job applicants, who can text “CVS” to 25000 or use its website to apply. CVS employees who refer full-time pharmacists or pharmacy technicians will be eligible for a cash bonus.

So far, CVS said it has administered more than 34 million COVID-19 vaccines and 32 million tests. Walgreens said it’s responsible for more than 30 million COVID-19 vaccinations.

While “a majority” of its employees have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus, Walgreens said it’s paying employees $200 in store credit if they’re vaccinated by Nov. 30. The unvaccinated will be required to enroll in a regular testing program, Walgreens said.

Competition for drugstore workers is as fierce as it is for other retailers. In July, CVS raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour and Walgreens followed in August, saying it will phase in the $15 minimum starting in October.

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The Associated Press contributed information to this story.

Twitter: @MariaHalkias

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