RI Stop & Shops Offering COVID-19 Vaccines With No Appointment

PROVIDENCE, RI — Getting a coronavirus vaccine just got a little easier in Rhode Island. Starting now, all Stop and Shop stores that offer vaccines across the state no longer require making an appointment in advance.

The Massachusetts-based grocery chain is the latest to offer walk-up vaccines in Rhode Island, following the example of state-run sites and other retail partners like CVS and Walgreens. While Rhode Islanders can still schedule an appointment online to guarantee a dose, they are no longer required to get a vaccine, the company said in a statement.

Across Rhode Island, 14 Stop and Shop stores offer vaccines., listed below. Residents will receive either the two-dose Moderna or single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and may be allowed to choose their preference, based on availability, the company said.

• Cranston (Atwood Ave)
• Cranston (Garfield Ave)
• Cumberland (Mendon Road)
• East Providence (Pawtucket Avenue)
• Greenville (Putnam Pike)
• Lincoln (George Washington Highway)
• Middletown (West Main Road)
• North Providence (Mineral Spring Avenue)
• North Smithfield (Smithfield Road)
• Narragansett (Point Judith Road)
• Pawtucket (Cottage Street)
• Providence (Manton Avenue)
• Warwick (Quaker Lane)
• Warwick (Warwick Ave)

"Stop & Shop has been proud to support Rhode Islanders throughout the pandemic, most recently by administering the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Katie Thornell, the director of pharmacy operations at Stop & Shop. "We are prepared to continue helping members of the community protect themselves against COVID-19 by allowing all Rhode Islanders the convenience of walking into any of our Rhode Island pharmacies to receive their immunization without needing an appointment."

The new approach is part of Rhode Island's newest phase of vaccine distribution, getting on the ground in communities and removing as many barriers as possible as demand for doses begins to wane.

"We've moved into the next phase of vaccine distribution, which means meeting people where they are," Gov. Dan McKee said last week. "Business, churches, schools — we'll make it happen."

Read more:

• For Second Week In A Row, RI's Coronavirus Numbers Plunge
  
• Rhode Island Enters '3rd Phase' Of Vaccine Distribution
• 'We Will Come To You': RI Vaccine Clinics Head Into Communities
  
• 'Cautiously Optimistic': RI Coronavirus Trends On The Decline