by Andrew Trunsky
CVS Health announced that it would bring on approximately 15,000 additional workers in preparation for the upcoming flu season and an expected rise in coronavirus cases before the distribution of an eventual vaccine.
The hirings will take place before the year’s end, the company said Monday in a statement. Though most of the positions are temporary, many could transition into full-time positions, CVS said.
“Additional team members typically are needed every flu season. However, we’re estimating a much greater need for trained pharmacy technicians this year given the continued presence of COVID-19 in our communities,” CVS Health Chief Human Resources Officer Lisa Bisaccia said.
“These jobs offer a rewarding career opportunity, with flexible hours, advancement potential and a supportive environment while helping people on the path to better health,” she added.
The company has also advocated for allowing technicians to administer vaccines as long as they are supervised by a certified pharmacist, arguing that it 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.”
“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 CVS’s vice president of acquisition, according to The Hill.
Over 8 million Americans have been diagnosed with the coronavirus throughout the pandemic, and approximately 220,000 have died, according to a Johns Hopkins University database.
Though President Donald Trump has floated the possibility of a vaccine being available before the election on Nov. 3, most experts say that an effective vaccine will not be developed and distributed across most of the country before mid-2021.
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Andrew Trunsky is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “CVS” by Mike Mozart CC BY 2.0.
