COVID-19: Employer vaccine FAQs

Aetna, as part of CVS Health, is committed to supporting our clients and members making it easier for them to get vaccinated.

Our steps include:

• Building a robust communications strategy about availability of vaccinations, options for receiving the vaccine and vaccine education
• Training staff including service and clinical teams
• Adding the COVID-19 vaccine to our overall pharmacy vaccination program

As part of our efforts, we are ensuring that medical and pharmacy claims properly determine what costs are covered by health insurance and that pharmacies and medical providers are reimbursed appropriately for administration of the vaccine.

Aetna offers employers several educational resources to help keep employees informed about the vaccine. This includes our COVID-19 vaccine employee communications toolkit, which includes an email template, digital banner ad, poster and flyer. It also contains Aetna-branded assets that can be distributed at any time. The toolkit is available upon request from the Aetna account team.

Employers also have access to member videos from Dr. Sree Chaguturu, chief medical officer of CVS Caremark®. The videos, posted on Aetna.com, address common questions and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine, such as side effects and efficacy, myths and facts, and where and when to get vaccinated.

In addition, Aetna offers employers two webinar series: the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) COVID-19 Vaccine webinars and Aetna Client Series, which supports retention and client engagement efforts for Aetna Commercial plan sponsor clients.

As a health care company, we know why a COVID-19 vaccine is important from a public health standpoint. However, we also recognize that some people are resistant to getting vaccinated.

In November 2020, we conducted a broad, nationwide survey to help better understand vaccine hesitancy. We published two white papers that discuss key survey results as well as our multi-pronged approach to addressing specific concerns among various groups, such as the safety and potential side effects of the vaccines:

Understanding and addressing vaccine hesitancy: achieving control in the U.S.  (PDF)

Shifting trends in vaccine hesitancy: greater divergence in attitudes, growing reticence among minorities (PDF)

Educating colleagues about the importance and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine is the cornerstone of CVS Health's vaccine strategy. For more about developing a COVID-19 vaccine strategy in the workplace, read our Q&A with Papatya Tankut (PDF), vice president, Human Resources – Retail, CVS Health^®.

Return Ready^TM is CVS Health’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing and vaccine solution for businesses, schools and other organizations. Based on the size and need of your organization, we offer two types of Return Ready on-site vaccination clinics. Our core offering provides CVS Pharmacy® immunizers at your location. Current criteria include a minimum of 48 participants per clinic, for ages 12 and up. Our enhanced offering also provides CVS Pharmacy® immunizers along with other services, such as account management, end-to-end implementation and detailed reporting.

Learn more and complete the online clinic submission form.

Effective May 21, 2021, fully-vaccinated employees will not be required to wear face coverings at our worksites, except where state or local mandates for mask-wearing are still in effect. This includes all office locations, stores and distribution centers. Employees who are not fully vaccinated are required to continue wearing face coverings.

Employees in patient-facing roles must wear face coverings, including clinicians who work at MinuteClinic, Coram and Omnicare, as well as pharmacy staff who are administering vaccines. Employees who choose not to wear a face-covering must attest that they have been fully vaccinated. We support any employee who chooses to continue wearing a face covering while at work, regardless of their vaccination status.

Customers who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear face coverings inside of our stores, unless it is mandated by state or local regulations. Customers who are not fully vaccinated are asked to continue wearing face coverings. We also ask that patients receiving treatment from MinuteClinic, Coram or Omnicare continue to wear face coverings.

COVID-19 vaccinations are available at pharmacies as well as doctors’ offices at other clinical sites of care. The list of pharmacies participating with the federal government in the administration of the vaccine can be found at CDC's website. In addition, CVS is currently working with several states to help vaccinate their priority populations.

Our State Resource lookup tool provides links to each state’s health department and vaccine resource page, so you can get the latest information on where vaccines are available in your area.

Please visit CVS.com for the latest updates on availability at CVS locations in your area.

Twenty-one pharmacy chains, including CVS, are participating in the Federal Pharmacy Program. Aetna members are encouraged to visit the CDC's website to find out which pharmacies are offering the vaccine in their state. Members should also visit the pharmacy’s website to find out if they are providing COVID-19 vaccines in their area.

As part of this program, CVS Health is now offering walk-in vaccinations and appointments at more than 9,600 stores in 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Members can schedule an appointment on CVS.com^®. Please visit CVS.com frequently to check for available appointments. Individuals will be able to schedule their vaccinations — both the initial shot and the required second dose — at CVS.com or through the CVS^® app.

In addition, our state resource lookup tool provides links to each state’s health department and vaccine resource page, so you can get the latest information about when and where vaccines will be available in your area.

Yes, if they meet their state eligibility requirements. The criteria for eligibility in each state is determined by the states and in some cases even down to a county by county level. We encourage members to check their state’s website to see where vaccines are being offered in their area, including local retail pharmacies. You can also check your pharmacy’s website to see if they are participating.

Pharmacies participating in the Federal Pharmacy Program are currently vaccinating eligible populations, based on each state’s eligibility guidelines. It’s important to note that in most (if not all) states, the number of individuals who are eligible to receive the vaccine under the state’s rules far outnumber the state’s available doses. As a result, available appointments will be extremely limited. As pharmacies receive additional shipments of vaccines, more appointments will open up, so we encourage individuals to continue to check for an open appointment in your area.

Our State Resource lookup tool provides links to each state’s health department and vaccine resource page, so individuals can get the latest information about when and where vaccines will be available in your area.

After receiving the first dose, members should receive a Vaccine Record Card that documents the type of vaccine given, the date it was received, and the vaccine site location. Members are encouraged to bring their Vaccine Record Card when returning if a second dose is needed.

Yes, the COVID-19 vaccine will be part of the Aetna vaccine program. In addition, Aetna’s pharmacy benefit partner, CVS Caremark, will cover COVID-19 vaccinations provided by all approved retail pharmacies in its network. Therefore, individuals will not have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for a COVID-19 vaccine.

CVS Health is committed to ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Our community-based strategy is aimed at increasing vaccination rates in underserved communities. We are conducting proactive patient outreach, helping to address vaccine hesitancy and providing education. We are partnering with local leaders and nonprofit organizations to reach vulnerable patients and help them make an appointment. And we are partnering with Lyft to provide free or reduced-price rides to vaccine appointments in these communities.

This spring, we will work closely with nonprofit organizations such as the YMCA to launch mobile vaccination vans and clinics to further increase access to vaccines.

After a thorough safety review, the CDC and FDA have lifted the pause on the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine as well as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are offered in our stores.

The FDA and the CDC are confident that the vaccine is safe and effective at preventing COVID-19. At this time, the available data suggests that the chance of developing a rare blood disorder – thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) – is very low, and the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

For women between the ages of 18 and 49, this adverse event is rare, occurring at a rate of about 7 per 1 million vaccinated women. For women 50 years and older and men of all ages, this adverse event is even more rare.   Women younger than 50 should be aware that other COVID-19 vaccines are available where this risk has not been seen.

Patients who receive the Janssen vaccine should monitor for severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath for 2 weeks after administration.

If experiencing symptoms, patients should contact their healthcare provider.

Your Aetna account team will have access to the latest information on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. You can also visit the member section of Aetna.com for FAQs to address questions your employees may have related to the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine.

Aetna will follow the guidance provided by the CDC and FDA regarding the age of eligibility to receive the vaccine. As of May 12, 2021, children over the age of 12 are eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

We expect adolescents over age 12 should be able to receive a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine through many of the vaccination locations already providing vaccines today, including pharmacies, health systems, and local vaccination clinics and events. Vaccine distribution strategies vary by state, so we encourage you to check your state’s vaccine website for more information. Our State Resource lookup tool provides links to each state’s health department and vaccine resource page, so you can get the latest information about where Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are available in your area.

All children ages 12 – 15 are now eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at CVS Pharmacy, provided there is parental or legal guardian consent and the child is accompanied by an adult. Because the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is currently the only authorized vaccine for children in this age group, it is recommended to make an appointment online at CVS.com at a nearby location that has Pfizer to ensure there is adequate supply and availability. The CVS online scheduling tool will only display appointments at locations that have the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine once the patient’s age is provided.