In an effort to battle the disparity of African-American receiving the vaccine, the City of Jacksonville sponsored a surprise first come first serve vaccination for 900 doses. Despite the myth that Black people do not want the vaccine, hundreds were lined up recently at Clanzel Brown Center on Moncrief Road to get their chance for the coveted shot.
By State order, the vaccines are limited to individuals who are 65 years of age or older, frontline medical personnel or first responders. The Florida Health Department has supplied the City with 975 vials of each dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Five hundred vaccines were administered the first day, while the remaining 475 will be administered the following day. “When we are given the resources and opportunity, the City of Jacksonville is able to quickly and efficiently stand-up operations to safely get this life-saving vaccine to the public,” said Mayor Lenny Curry. “If and when more vaccines become available, we will be ready to open additional sites in other areas of the community.”
No appointment was necessary, but to avoid large crowds and promote responsible physical distancing, eligible patients were urged to only visit the vaccination site on the day associated with their birth month: Friday (January – June) and Saturday (July – December). All patients had to provide a photo ID that showed their birth date, while first responders and healthcare workers were required to also bring an employee badge. For convenience, patients were offered a voucher that allowed them to return to the site the same day to receive the vaccine. While the DOH Vaccine Screening and Consent Form were on site, patients were encouraged to print and bring a completed form to reduce listed on the COJ website to confirm their wait time. Covid 19 practices were in also heavily in place After receiving the vaccine, patients must stay on site for at least 15 minutes to be monitored for potential reactions by healthcare and emergency professionals. Based on medical history, some individuals may be required to wait 30 minutes. While allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are rare, this safety measure is in place out of an abundance of caution. Patients must return to Clanzel T. Brown Senior Center 21 days after the first shot to receive the second dose. Reminders about the follow-up appointment will be provided via phone call and text message.
Out of the hundreds of thousands of Floridians who have been vaccinated, only 5% of them have been Black.
In addition, Governor DeSantis is continuing to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine for Florida’s seniors. To date, nearly 1.3 million individuals 65 and older have been vaccinated in Florida, which is more than 72% of all individuals vaccinated in the state. Shown is senior Pauline Davis receiving her shot at the State of Florida pop up location at St. Stephens AME Church Saturday.
For more information, citizens may call 630-CITY (2489) to be connected to a customer care representative.
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