Workers at seven CVS pharmacies in Southern California have gone on strike for better pay and health care and to protest what they say is bad-faith contract bargaining by the company.

CVS Health CEO Karen Lynch has stepped down with company shares sinking 19% this year and the health care giant struggling on several fronts.

U.S. stocks rose to records to close out their latest winning week.

Urban and rural communities have come to depend on pharmacies as a trusted care option and a place for advice.

According to clinics across the area, spring allergies are the main thing affecting people right now.

U.S. health inspectors found a host of sanitation and manufacturing problems at an Indian plant that recently recalled eyedrops sold in the U.S. The problems include cracked floors, barefoot workers and manipulated testing records.

A new apartment complex that will feature affordable housing units for seniors is coming to the Galleria area.

Caring for sick children has become extra stressful for many U.S. parents recently due to shortages of Children’s Tylenol and other medicines.

CVS will drop the price on store-branded menstrual products nationwide on Thursday, and has already begun paying the sales tax for such products in some states.

CVS Health will pay about $8 billion to expand into home care, a practice that could cut costs and keep patients happy, provided they get the help they need.

CVS Health is reminding Americans that it is more important than ever to stay current with vaccinations and other routine health care needs. By getting an annual flu shot, ensuring COVID-19 boosters are up to date, and taking other proactive preventative health measures, individuals and families can help protect themselves against seasonal flu and other illnesses and do their part to help protect the overall health of their community.

CVS Health is asking pharmacists in some states to verify that a few of the prescriptions they provide will not be used end a pregnancy.

The new chief health equity officer at CVS Health hopes she will have more influence in fixing care disparities before they land patients in the hospital.

CVS Health is looking to hire more than 3,000 new employees across its Texas stores during a one-day national career event.

Vaccines and a return to normal care levels helped push CVS Health past Wall Street’s second-quarter expectations, but the resurging COVID-19 pandemic is clouding the health care giant’s 2022 expectations.

HOUSTON – Starting Thursday, CVS Health will begin offering COVID-19 vaccines to those who are eligible (in the 1B Phase) at 47 more select CVS Pharmacies in Texas. Approximately 15 of them will be in the greater Houston area, CVS says. Nearly 58,500 doses of vaccine are being made available for the 47 additional Texas sites through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, bringing the total CVS Pharmacy COVID-19 vaccination locations to nearly 100 statewide. AdVaccines are offered on an appointment-only basis at CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app. Bay CityHoustonHuntsvilleJacinto CityKatyLa MarqueLivingstonPasadenaSeabrookTomballAs more supply becomes available through the federal program, the company will expand to additional states while increasing the number of stores offering vaccinations.

HOUSTON – If you’re eligible and looking to get the COVID-19 vaccine, you’ll be able to schedule an appointment with CVS Health beginning Thursday. Vaccinations at 70 pharmacy locations in Texas, including an undisclosed number in Houston, will begin the next day on Friday. The scheduling system will open on Feb. 11,” Monica Prinzing with CVS Health Corporate Communications said. Because active stores will change regularly based on vaccine supply, CVS Health will not provide a full list of participating locations,” Prinzing added. H-E-BAd“H-E-B Pharmacies are prepared to receive new allotments of COVID-19 vaccine at any time from the government.

Among those getting help are hard-hit businesses, schools, health care providers and renters facing eviction. ___Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak___HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state Gov. ___DENVER — Colorado’s legislature will go into recess soon after convening in January as lawmakers wait for COVID-19 cases to subside. About 7,000 Kentucky residents, the vast majority of them health care workers in hospitals, have been vaccinated since. ___CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia set another weekly record for positive coronavirus cases and deaths as it awaits an influx of vaccines from Moderna.

CVS Health and Walgreens on Friday are beginning to offer COVID-19 vaccinations for residents and staff at those long-term care facilities, making them among the first Americans to receive the shots, CNBC reported. Walgreens said its pharmacists will administer the shots at nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Ohio, Connecticut and Florida. CVS said it will provide them at facilities in Ohio and Connecticut. Both companies will expand to facilities in other states next week. For more, go to CNBC’s full report.

HOUSTON – CVS Health said this week that it is recruiting qualified candidates to fill 15,000 jobs across the nation. More than 10,000 of the new roles are for full- and part-time licensed pharmacy technicians at CVS Pharmacy locations and will be filled as soon as possible, helping increase support for patients and fellow pharmacy professionals. Working under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist, CVS Health pharmacy technicians process prescriptions, dispense medications, provide information to customers or health professionals and perform administrative tasks. They also administer COVID-19 tests at more than 4,000 drive-thru testing sites at select CVS Pharmacy locations across the country. Candidates for these opportunities can apply online and take an online virtual job tryout.