President Biden on Tuesday called on more Americans, especially older adults, to get the updated COVID-19 booster shot ahead of upcoming holidays. In response, Albertson’s grocery store pharmacies and Walgreens drug stores are among the first pharmacies to partner with long-term care facilities, churches, schools and others to provide on-site vaccination clinics at long-term care facilities and other community locations.

“While COVID-19 is not the disruptive force it was when the president took office, the virus continues to evolve,” the White House announcement read. The updated vaccines target the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of omicron.

In conjunction with the president’s push to get more Americans vaccinated, the Department of Health and Human Services launched on Wednesday the #VaxUpAmerica Family Vaccine Tour. The purpose is to encourage families to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine for maximum protection going into the winter and holiday season. As part of the tour, HHS will host pop-up vaccination events and distribute toolkits at locations including nursing homes, the White House said.

A pharmacy expert told McKnight’s Long-Term Care News on Tuesday that hopes that the latest federal push for vaccinations will empower long-term care pharmacists to play a continued role in COVID-19 prevention and treatment.

“Our hope is that the federal government and Biden administration continue the practices pharmacists have employed during the emergency to not only address this continued need but also make them permanent for any future testing, treatment and vaccination needs,” said Chad Worz, PharmD, BCGP, CEO of American Society of Consultant Pharmacists.

Among the government’s efforts to reach high-risk Americans, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will send a second email reminder with information about the updated COVID-19 vaccines and how to get them to 16 million people who have signed up to receive emails from the agency.

The administration also released a fall playbook for businesses with steps that businesses can take to protect their workers and others, including actions they can take to get workers the updated COVID-19 vaccine.