CVS staff get perks like beach days and donuts for hitting vaccine goals: Report

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LOS ANGELES - CVS Health is reportedly using incentives such as bonuses, raffles, and even beach days to motivate pharmacy staff to administer more vaccines. As vaccine demand declines and public skepticism grows, these efforts reflect both a public health initiative and a business strategy, according to Bloomberg News.

Bloomberg reported that some CVS pharmacies were entered into raffles for pizza parties, taco lunches, and other small-scale rewards if they exceeded vaccination targets. Pharmacy managers could also earn an extra day off at the beach, while cash bonuses were reportedly tied to meeting vaccine goals.

FOX Television Stations asked CVS to confirm the details of these incentive programs. In response, the company emphasized its commitment to vaccinations but did not confirm or deny the specific examples reported by Bloomberg.

Why is CVS offering vaccination incentives?

The backstory:

Pharmacies like CVS have become central to the U.S. vaccination effort, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic made shots more accessible at local drugstores. At the same time, vaccine skepticism has risen. A 2024 KFF poll found that 17% of parents delayed or skipped vaccinations for their children—up from 10% in 2023.

The Food and Drug Administration has also recently set stricter requirements for approving COVID-19 boosters for healthy adults, a move that analysts say could impact pharmacies’ vaccine-related business.

By the numbers:

Vaccines are a profitable part of CVS’s operations. According to Bloomberg, analysts estimate that vaccine margins are at least twice those of standard pharmacy operations. In its third-quarter earnings call in 2024, CVS said that vaccine profits helped offset lower sales in household goods and shrinking reimbursement rates on prescriptions.

What they're saying:

A CVS spokesperson told FOX, "During peak vaccination season, we may offer incentives to pharmacy team members who meet vaccination goals to further support our pharmacy teams for their work."

A sign at a CVS Pharmacy advertises free flu and COVID-19 vaccines as a pharmacist works behind the counter. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The company added, "Our local teams may come up with store specific programs to reward our colleagues who are helping share educational information, deliver immunizations aligned with our client and customer demand, and reward the work we do to help improve public health. We do not have any specific company-wide programs."

CVS also stated that all outreach is tailored to patients with known vaccination gaps and that recommended vaccines are clinically appropriate.

How CVS is promoting vaccinations beyond the pharmacy

Dig deeper:

CVS has turned to influencer marketing to raise awareness. Television personality Shannon LaNier told Bloomberg that CVS reached out to him in February for a vaccine awareness campaign. In a TikTok post, he showed himself bringing his daughter in for a COVID-19 shot, emphasizing convenience.

"It’s hard for parents to fit everything into their schedules," LaNier said. "Community pharmacies are just more convenient than going to a doctor’s office."

CVS has also been sending texts and making calls to patients to close vaccination gaps. The company says it offers more than 15 FDA-authorized, CDC-recommended vaccines, from shingles to pneumonia.