OCALA, Fla. — Select Publix locations in the Tampa Bay area and central Florida are slated to soon distribute COVID-19 vaccines.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who provided no advance warning of the announcement, said Tuesday the distribution of 15,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine is part of a pilot with the grocery chain. Not all Publix locations in Florida will have the vaccine on-hand.
"A limited number of COVID-19 vaccines are on the way to select Publix pharmacies in Citrus, Hernando, and Marion counties," Publix's website says. "We’re preparing to make appointments through our online scheduling system while supplies permit, and to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible individuals."
As the Publix website mentions, the appointment system is not yet online but is expected to be ready Thursday, Jan. 7. People aged 65 and older are eligible to receive a vaccine.
Each store can schedule 120 vaccines per day, according to a news release. People are asked to bring their insurance card while those who do not have insurance should bring their driver's license or Social Security number.
Here are the following locations that are planned to have COVID-19 vaccines on-hand, while supplies last (updated as of Tuesday afternoon):
Citrus County
- Crystal River - Crystal Springs Shopping Center, 6760 W. Gulf to Lake Highway
- Homosassa - Shoppes of Sugarmill Woods, 9525 S. Suncoast Blvd.
- Inverness - Publix Plaza Inverness, 1012 W. Main Street
Hernando County
- Brooksville - Brooksville Square, 19390 Cortez Blvd.
- Hernando - Shoppes of Citrus Hills, 2685 N. Forest Ridge Blvd.
- Spring Hill - Shoppes at Avalon, 13455 County Line Road
- Spring Hill - Publix at Seven Hills, 160 Mariner Blvd.
- Spring Hill - Lakewood Plaza, 4365 Commercial Way
- Spring Hill - Publix at Barclay, 14371 Spring Hill Drive
- Spring Hill - Mariner Commons, 4158 Mariner Blvd.
- Weeki Wachee - The Shoppes at Glen Lakes, 9595 Commercial Way
Marion County
- Belleview - Belleview Commons
- Dunnellon - Rainbow Square Shopping Center, 11352 N. Williams Street, Suite 400
- Ocala - Forty East Shopping Center, 3450 E. Silver Springs Blvd.
- Ocala - Canopy Oak Center, 8075 SW Highway 200, Unit 111
- Ocala - Park View Commons, 3035 SE Maricamp Road
- Ocala - The Shops at Foxwood, 2765 NW 49th Avenue, Suite 301
- Ocala - Grand Oaks Town Center, 2575 SW 42nd Street, Suite 100
- Ocala - Pearl Britain Plaza, 2647 NE 35th Street
- Ocala - Churchill Square, 303 SE 17th Street
- Ocala - Heather Island Plaza, 7578 SE Maricamp Road, Suite 100
- Ocala - Heath Brook Commons, 5400 SW College Road, Suite 200
"It’s our privilege to work with Governor DeSantis as a distributor of this important vaccine. We’re grateful to play a role in helping to protect the health and well-being of people at risk of serious complications from the coronavirus," said Publix Vice President of Pharmacy Dain Rusk in a statement. "We look forward to a time when everyone who wants a vaccination is able to receive one."
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