Gov. Ron DeSantis made an exciting announcement today, Jan. 19, that all Publix pharmacies in Palm Beach County will begin administering the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as Jan. 21.
In just a matter of days, our most at-risk residents will be given the much-awaited vaccine and our community can begin to heal from the effects of this year-long pandemic.
This announcement is serving as a light at the end of the tunnel for many of our Palm Beach County residents and this move shows that the end is indeed in sight. Since last March, there have been over 98,000 cases of COVID-19 in Palm Beach County and over 2,000 deaths – a toll no one could’ve predicted a year ago.
However complex the long-lasting effects of the pandemic will be on society, Gov. DeSantis is saying one thing will certainly be easy from this point forward: the vaccination process at Publix pharmacies. He explains that the plan put together by the government and health department in cooperation with Publix pharmacies in Palm Beach County will make for a “very orderly, very easy” vaccination if the process they laid out is followed by residents.
According to Gov. DeSantis’ statement today, the vaccinations will be by appointment only (scheduled online) for people 65 and older, residents and staff of long-term care facilities, and healthcare personnel with direct patient contact. Considering that almost 25 percent of our residents are 65 and older, this partnership will be monumental in protecting nearly one-in-four of our neighbors and putting a stop to nationwide rising death rates due to COVID.
Reservations for vaccine appointments begin at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 19, and administration of the actual shots is slated to begin the following day. During his statement to the press, Gov. DeSantis said each pharmacy will be capable of administering 100 to 125 vaccines per day. With 67 participating sites in our county, it certainly seems like many of our at-risk, elderly residents will soon find themselves finally protected from the pandemic. Of Publix pharmacy’s vaccine roll-out, DeSantis is confident it will run “like clockwork.”
For more information, visit publix.com/covidvaccine.