JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Southeastern Grocers on Thursday began administering COVID-19 vaccinations at 40 Winn-Dixie stores, including four in Duval County.
Two Winn-Dixie stores in Clay County -- as well as one store each in Alachua, Baker, Bradford and Putnam counties -- are also offering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to people 65 and older.
Harveys Supermarket on Market Street in downtown Jacksonville also started giving shots on Thursday.
Lessie and Robert Tillman have been married for 51 years. They were the first people to get the vaccinated at the downtown Harveys. Lessie Tillman said she wasn’t sure about getting the vaccine at first. Both she and her husband have had the coronavirus.
“We had a rough time with the virus. We really did. I did not think we were going to make it. I had to pray every day just to have the strength because we were so sick, and he was sicker than I was,” Lessie Tillman said.
The couple told News4Jax the vaccination procedure was quick and painless.
The downtown Harveys received 100 doses of the vaccine and will do 20 shots a day for the first week. The store hopes to get more each week and book more appointments.
There has been concern about the availability of the vaccine in underserved neighborhoods. Kendrick Hobbs, the regional manager of Harveys, said that is why this site was chosen to be one of the first in Jacksonville.
“This Harveys was selected because of the density. But more importantly, it’s a really underserved part of town, and we feel we could have a greater impact by service with the community here with the at-risk population in this part of town,” Hobbs said.
Lessie Tillman was nervous at first but she hopes everyone will follow suit and get the vaccine.
“They really need to take the shot,” she said. “They really do.”
People News4Jax spoke with were grateful more locations were being made available for vaccinations.
“They’ve been getting the vaccines spread around for people to do it. They’re finally getting around Duval County. I was wondering how long that was going to take,” Winn-Dixie shopper Brian Hickox said.
Vaccinations are by appointment only. Appointments can be made at WinnDixie.com/pharmacy/covid-vaccine and www.harveyssupermarkets.com/pharmacy/covid-vaccine, but all current appointment slots are full.
If you are heading to one of the vaccine sites for an appointment, go ahead and download your consent form early to save yourself some time.
Here are the local stores involved:
Alachua County: Winn-Dixie Store No. 30: 20303 N. U.S. Highway 441, High Springs, FL 32643
Baker County: Winn-Dixie Store No. 144: 1436 State Road 121, Macclenny, FL 32063
Bradford County: Winn-Dixie Store No. 85: 470 West Madison St., Starke, FL 32091
Clay County: Winn-Dixie Store No. 93: 2720 Blanding Blvd., Middleburg, FL 32068; Winn-Dixie Store No. 103: 1545 County Road 220, Orange Park, FL 32002
Duval County: Harveys Supermarket Store No. 1688: 777 Market St., Jacksonville, FL 32202; Winn-Dixie Store No. 7: 10915-112 Baymeadows Rd., Unit 12, Jacksonville, FL 32256; Winn-Dixie Store No. 123: 5647 Roosevelt Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32244; Winn-Dixie Store No. 174: 12777 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32225; Winn-Dixie Store No. 191: 5207 Normandy Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32205
Putnam County: Winn-Dixie Store No. 163: 901 Highway 19 South, Palatka, FL 32177