By Micah Maidenberg

CVS Health Corp. said Monday it would have the capacity in place to administer 20 million to 25 million Covid-19 vaccine shots a month and this week would begin administering doses at long-term care facilities.

The drug-store chain said its teams would administer doses of the Pfizer Inc. vaccine at facilities in a dozen states this week. CVS Health expects to start offering the shots and a booster at another 36 states as well as the District of Columbia on Dec. 28. On Jan. 4, the company will start vaccinating people in Puerto Rico.

CVS "expects to vaccinate up to four million residents and staff at over 40,000 long-term care facilities through the program," the Woonsocket, R.I.-based company said.

The company described the long-term care facility vaccination program as a precursor to the "eventual availability" of vaccines at all of its pharmacies across the country. Availability will be determined by states, it said.

Shares of CVS are down 6.4% so far this year.

Write to Micah Maidenberg at micah.maidenberg@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

12-21-20 0734ET