Hy-Vee to Set Up COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics at Iowa State Fair

Individuals can get $10 gift card with shot

7/27/2021

Hy-Vee to Set Up COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics at Iowa State Fair

An aerial view of the Iowa State Fair, where this year Hy-Vee plans to hold COVID-19 vaccine clinics.

There’s a new incentive for COVID-19 vaccine-averse folks: Offer it to them as they devour their funnel cake on a stick and enjoy the myriad attractions at the Iowa State Fair. That’s where Hy-Vee Inc. will be hosting COVID-19 vaccination clinics in August, with flu shots also provided depending on availability.

The grocer will hold its vaccination clinics daily from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday, Aug. 12 through Sunday, Aug. 22. There will be no appointment necessary to receive either vaccine. Hy-Vee pharmacy team members will be at Booth #40050, between the Grand Avenue gate and the Elwell Family Food Center on the west side of the fairgrounds, to offer the free shots inside Hy-Vee Healthy You mobile clinic units, and each COVID-19 vaccine recipient must remain in the observation area for 15 minutes after they receive their vaccine.

People will be able to choose between the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is available to individuals 12 and older, while the single-dose Janssen vaccine is available for those 18 and older. The second Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose should be administered at least 21 days after the first dose. Minors must have parental/guardian consent to get the vaccine. People who receive their first dose at the fair can get the second at any Hy-Vee Pharmacy.

The grocer recommends but doesn’t require that fair attendees bring the following when they get vaccinated: an insurance card (if they have insurance) and Medicare Part B red, white and blue card (if Medicare recipient), and photo ID. Masks are required. If people are uninsured, they can still be vaccinated.

“Hy-Vee pharmacies have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 vaccine administration over the past eight months, and we’re proud to provide easy access to the vaccine at this year’s Iowa State Fair,” said Kristin Williams, the grocer’s EVP and chief health officer.

Those who complete their COVID-19 vaccination with Hy-Vee between June 1 and Nov. 1 can receive a $10 Hy-Vee gift card. Each patient who gets a flu vaccine at a Hy-Vee Pharmacy can earn a 20-cent Hy-Vee Fuel Saver reward, which can be redeemed at any Hy-Vee Gas, Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh Express, or Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh location.

Employee-owned Hy-Vee operates more than 280 retail stores across eight Midwestern states. The West Des Moines, Iowa-based company is No. 34 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.