Vaccinations, tests give Walgreens a fiscal 1Q sales jolt

By TOM MURPHY
AP Health Writer

COVID-19 vaccines and testing boosted Walgreens store sales growth to its highest level in more than two decades, as the drugstore chain beat fiscal first-quarter expectations. Walgreens doled out 15.6 million vaccines in the quarter that ended in November 30, as more Americans sought booster shots and vaccine eligibility expanded to children between the ages of 5 and 12. That was up nearly 16% from the previous quarter. The company also administered 6.5 million COVID-19 tests in its first quarter, which ended before the omicron variant of the virus sent case numbers soaring in the United States.