CVS Stock Gains From Offering MMR Vaccine to South Carolina Residents

CVS Health CVS has recently announced the offering of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to residents post the current outbreak in South Carolina. Both CVS Pharmacy stores and MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics in the area will provide vaccines to help protect patients against measles.CVS Stock's Potential Movement Following the NewsFollowing the announcement, CVS’ shares rose 2.4% last Thursday. The company’s Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness presently operate more than 9,000 retail locations, as well as online retail pharmacy websites, LTC (long-term care) pharmacies and on-site pharmacies, retail specialty pharmacy stores, compounding pharmacies and branches for infusion and enteral nutrition services. In the third quarter of 2025, the segment’s revenues grew 12% year over year. We expect that the latest initiative to control measles will further boost CVS stock in the upcoming days.CVS has a market capitalization of $100.82 billion at present. It has an estimated earnings growth rate of 22.7% in 2025 compared with the industry’s 16.7%. CVS delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 26.5%.Importance of CVS’ Vaccination InitiativeAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles is a disease that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The most common symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash that is red and blotchy. Measles symptoms usually emerge within seven to 14 days of exposure, though onset may take as long as 21 days. An infected individual can transmit measles from four days before the rash appears to four days after it develops.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchVaccination is the most effective way to help protect people from measles, and CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic are offering the MMR vaccine at more than 200 locations across the state of South Carolina. The MMR vaccine may provide some protection if given within the first three days (72 hours) after exposure to measles. It is also important for anyone who has not been vaccinated to receive the MMR vaccine to help protect against measles during future exposure.How Will CVS Provide the Vaccines?Patients aged three and older can receive the MMR vaccine at South Carolina CVS Pharmacy locations. At MinuteClinic, nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide the recommended second vaccination to children 4-6 years old. People are considered immune to measles if they have received two MMR vaccines or were born before 1957. Pharmacy and medical clinic staff can assist patients in determining whether the vaccine is covered by their insurance plan.Another Development by CVSAetna, a CVS Health company, is aligning its latest offering with its strategic efforts to move away from a transactional approach to health care and toward a consumer-centric health experience. The company is rolling out a generative AI-powered conversational experience across its digital channels to simplify health care, enabling members to quickly and easily navigate their benefits in a more personalized way.CVS Stock Price PerformanceIn the past three months, CVS’ shares have gained 70.4% compared with the industry’s 5.4% growth.CVS’ Zacks Rank and Key PicksCVS Health currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are BrightSpring Health Services BTSG, Illumina ILMN and Omnicell OMCL. While BrightSpring and Illumina sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each, Omnicell carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Estimates for BrightSpring Health Services’ 2025 EPS have increased 5.7% in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have surged 92.3% in the past year compared with the industry’s 1.1% growth. BTSG’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 45.1%. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an earnings surprise of 11.1%.  Illumina shares have lost 9.4% in the past year. Estimates for the company’s 2025 EPS have increased 0.9% to $4.71 in the past 30 days. ILMN’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on one occasion, delivering an average surprise of 6.7%. In the last reported quarter, it posted an earnings surprise of 15.5%.Omnicell’s shares have lost 13.9% in the past year. Estimates for the company’s 2025 EPS have increased 8.3% to $1.70 in the past 30 days. OMCL’s earnings topped estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 38.7%. In the last reported quarter, it posted an earnings surprise of 41.7%.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the months ahead. 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(BTSG): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks