It may not be your first inclination to get vaccinated at the grocery store, but that may be a good thing: Anecdotal evidence suggests more doses and appointments are available at grocery store pharmacies than at pharmacies right now.
Recent changes to the way vaccines are distributed–by the manufacturers themselves, rather than the US government–has made it difficult for pharmacies to predict when vaccine shipments will arrive, leading to appointment cancellations and confusion surrounding where there are doses available.
After hearing about people who managed to get shots at the grocery store, we called around to see who’s got what:
DC
- A pharmacist from the Giant Food on H Street, Northeast, said earlier the store has only five Pfizer boosters in stock. The store on Seventh Street, Northwest, reported having both Pfizer and Moderna available but advised acting fast. The H Street pharmacy accepts walk-ins from 11 AM to 3 PM, and Seventh Street accepts walk-ins until 4 PM.
- The Waterfront-area Safeway has the Pfizer shot and accepts walk-ins every day from 10 AM to 1 PM.
- The NoMa and Adams Morgan Harris Teeters have the Pfizer shot but with limited availability until next week. The Navy Yard location also has only Pfizer but says appointments are available throughout the end of this week.
Virginia
- The Shirlington Village Harris Teeter in Arlington has Pfizer boosters in stock, and there are several appointments available throughout the week.
- The Safeway on King Street in Alexandria has both Moderna and Pfizer boosters and accepts walk-ins until 5 PM on weekdays and 3 PM on weekends.
- The Giant on Washington Boulevard in Arlington currently has Pfizer boosters and is expecting a shipment of Moderna within the next couple of days. Its pharmacy accepts walk-ins, but the pharmacist suggests making an appointment, as wait times could take up to an hour.
Maryland
- Both Giant locations in Hyattsville have Pfizer and Moderna boosters in stock. They accept walk-ins until 5 PM on weekdays, contingent on availability.
- The Harris Teeter in North Bethesda Center currently only has Moderna boosters, but there are plenty of open appointments that can be booked online.
- The Safeway on Thayer Avenue in Silver Spring has Moderna and Pfizer doses with appointments available throughout the week. The pharmacy recommends making an appointment online as the current wait time for walk-ins is one hour.
Editorial Fellow
