Of all Florida deaths from COVID -19, African Americans comprise 17% of these deaths. It’s clear COVID-19 is a significant killer in the black community in Florida. It is well known and well documented that there are disparities in the arena of medical accessibility, including affordability, and overall good health in areas with high African American populations. How can this disparity be lessened when the pandemic is responsible for employment losses resulting in significant income losses? One way is to be aware of actions that one can take to combat the pandemic, from food intake to mental health to social distancing to getting vaccinated.
Florida has established the following guidelines for getting the vaccine:
Long-term care workers, persons over age 65, health care personnel with direct patient contact, and persons deemed vulnerable to covid 19 by hospital providers.
They have also set up a strategy with locations and times for administering the vaccine. Please be aware that some locations are only serving very specific populations, such as frontline health care workers. Appointments may be required and vaccine availability will vary from day to day and week to week, as Florida works to provide vaccines to the most vulnerable first.
According to statisticalatlas.com Florida counties with heavy African American populations include: Atlantic, Alachua, Broward, Duval, Escambia, Gadsden, Jackson, Leon, Putnam, South, South Atlantic, and St. Lucie. Vaccination location and information for some of these counties are as follows:
Broward County https://www.browardcovidvaccine.com/ By Appointment Only
- Vista View – 4001 SW 142nd Avenue Davie Florida 33330
- Central Broward Regional Park – 3700 NW 11th Place, Lauderhill, Florida 33311
Duval County http://duval.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/emergency-preparedness-and-response/vaccinationappointments.html By Appointment Only
- Prime Osboorne Convention Center – 1000 Water Street Jacksonville, Florida 32204
- Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville – 800 Prudential Drive Jacksonville, Florida 32207
- UF Health North – 15255 Max Leggett Parkway Jacksonville, Florida 32218
- UF Health Jacksonville – 655 W. 8th Street, Jacksonville, Florida 32209
Escambia County https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BQ2F5RL By Appointment Only
- Baptist Hospital – 1110 W Lakeview Ave. Pensacola, Florida 32501
- Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola – 5151 N. 9th Ave Pensacola, Florida
- Publix at Shops at Perdido Key -13390 Perdido Key Drive Pensacola, Florida https://www.publix.com/covid-vaccine
- Publix – 5055 North 9th Avve Pensacola, Florida https://www.publix.com/covid-vaccine
- Publix at University Town Center – 9251 University Pkwy Pensacola, Florida https://www.publix.com/covid-vaccine
- Publix at Belleview Plaza – 5998 Mobile Hwy Pensacola, Florida https://www.publix.com/covid-vaccine
- Publix at Publix at Nine Mile – 2180 West Nine Mile Road Pensacola Florida https://www.publix.com/covid-vaccine
- Publix at Publix at East Hill – 1100 E. Cervantes Street Pensacola, Florida https://www.publix.com/covid-vaccine
Gadsden County By Appointment Only
- DOH – Gilchrist 278 LaSalle Leffalle Drive, Quincy, Florida 32351 (850)329-0685
This list will be updated as more sites and vaccines become available.
For updates about the vaccine and distribution from Governor Ron DeSantis, text
FLCOVID19 to 888777