Publix

Broward, Publix to Offer More Vaccine Appointments to Seniors

Every day, more COVID-19 vaccines are made available to seniors all over South Florida, but many are still finding that booking an appointment can be difficult and frustrating

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Every day, more COVID-19 vaccines are made available to seniors all over South Florida, but many are still finding that booking an appointment can be difficult and frustrating.

“I’ve tried in Broward, I’ve tried in West Palm, I can’t get through to anything,” one Fort Lauderdale senior told NBC 6.

The Florida Department of Health in Broward County said it was taking part in a new, state-run appointment scheduling system, but not long after the portal went live Thursday, all available time slots had been filled.

24,000 appointments opened up at 67 Publix pharmacies in Palm Beach County Thursday, and they'd all been booked within two hours.

One lucky senior, Anthony Ard of Pompano Beach, told NBC 6 he came to a Publix in Boca Raton and was able to get a dose quickly.

"I was scheduled for 12 p.m., and I got here ten minutes early, and they took me. They said they were doing one vaccine every 12 minutes. It was very smooth and efficient," Ard said.

Many others were left to wait and wonder when they would be next in line.

One frustrated senior inquired why Publix was offering vaccinations in West Palm Beach, and not in Broward. Maria Brous, the Director of Communications for Publix, said the company is working with the state and Governor DeSantis’ office to select locations for vaccine rollout.

“We are looking for more rural areas and areas that don’t have an established system already in place," Brous said. "So in Miami-Dade County there’s Jackson Memorial, Broward Hard Rock has a drive-thru currently. And Publix has been acting as the filler throughout the state for areas that may not have systems in place."

Publix is opening up another 45,000 appointments on Friday, January 22nd at 6 a.m. Head to Publix.com\covidvaccine to try and snag a slot.

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