At a glance
Adult COVID-19 Vaccinations Administered in Pharmacies and Medical Offices*
COVID-19 Vaccinations Administered in Pharmacies and Physician Medical Offices*, Adults, United States
The projected pharmacy estimates are based on IQVIA†,‡ Longitudinal Prescription Claims (LRx) and vaccinations administered in retail pharmacies (including chain, mass merchandise, food stores, and independent pharmacies). Using the raw number of doses administered at a subset of retail pharmacies, IQVIA uses a proprietary projection methodology to estimate the projected number of vaccinations administered at all retail pharmacies. For the 2023-24 season, projected estimates were based on a subset of 43,203 pharmacies. The total number of retail pharmacies in the U.S. was estimated at 57,000 in 2022.§ The estimates include COVID-19 vaccinations that were billed to insurers (i.e. claims) or paid by cash. Projected pharmacy estimates are updated each week for the prior 13 weeks. Evaluations are underway to determine average time-lag for claims and data processing for COVID-19 vaccinations; for comparison purposes, initial evaluation of IQVIA flu vaccination estimates is available and indicates that the reported number of doses administered for a particular week increased slightly over the next few weeks. Doses administered since August 24, 2024 are assumed to be the updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine.
The projected physicians' medical offices estimates are based on IQVIA's Medical Claims (Dx). Using the raw number of doses administered at the offices of a subset of physicians from American Medical Association's (AMA) proprietary list, IQVIA uses a proprietary projection methodology to estimate the projected number of vaccinations administered in medical offices of all physicians from AMA's list. For the 2023-24 season, projected estimates were based on a subset of 21,260 AMA physicians. The number of AMA primary care physicians in the U.S. is 258,350.± The estimates include COVID-19 vaccinations that are claims-based only, and estimates are expected to increase over time for a given time period as claims are processed and adjudicated. Projected estimates are updated monthly and do not mature until about two months. This results in an increase or decrease in the initial or subsequent estimates for a given week. Evaluations are underway for last season's 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccinations; for comparison purposes, initial evaluation of IQVIA flu vaccination estimates is available and indicates that the reported number of doses administered for a particular week increased 10.7% over the next few weeks.
Vaccinations administered in other settings such as workplaces and community settings are not included in these data.
Weekly comparisons to previous season should take into account differences between seasons in vaccine availability dates. 2023–24 COVID-19 vaccines were first available mid-September 2023, and 2024–25 COVID-19 vaccines were first available at the end of August 2024.
- Figure 6. Weekly Cumulative Estimated Number of COVID-19 Vaccinations Administered in Retail Pharmacies and Physician Medical Offices, by Season, Adults 18 years and older, United States. Data Source(s): IQVIA LRx and Dx.
*National estimates for retail pharmacies and physician medical offices include vaccinations administered in 50 states and DC. National estimates for medical office vaccinations do not include doses where geographic information (i.e. which state the dose was administered in) was missing. Pharmacy data are through Friday of each week and medical office data are through Saturday of each week.
†King, L. M., Bartoces, M., Fleming-Dutra, K. E., et al. (2020). Changes in US outpatient antibiotic prescriptions from 2011–2016. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 70(3), 370-377.
‡McLaughlin, J. M., Swerdlow, D. L., Khan, F., et al. (2019). Disparities in uptake of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine among older adults in the United States. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 15(4), 841-849.
§https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/meeting-changing-consumer-needs-the-us-retail-pharmacy-of-the-future. Accessed on 08.28.2024.
±Total number of physicians of all specialties is 989,320; of these, primary care physicians include Internal Medicine (IM), Family Medicine/General Practice, IM/Pediatrics, and Geriatrics. 2023 U.S. Physician Workforce Data Dashboard | AAMC. Accessed on 08.28.2024.