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JACKSONVILLE, Florida – Although the city of Jacksonville urged people NOT to line up until 10 a.m. Tuesday, hundreds of people waited for hours outside Mandarin and Lane Wiley senior centers to get their COVID-19 vaccine .
The vaccine is available Tuesday for the elderly, healthcare workers and first responders with birthdays in March or April.
On Monday and Tuesday, hopeful seniors began lining up before dawn at senior centers, which immunize Duval County residents aged 65 and over and non-frontline medical workers. by appointment, but according to their month of birth.
At dawn on Tuesday, the line snaked across the property with dozens of people spaced 6 feet apart, wearing masks.
“We expected there to be a long line, so we wanted to be the first to get vaccinated,” said Arthur Llaga, a caregiver.
“With all of my health issues, I would have died if I had it, so would my husband,” said Terry Hill.
RELATED: County-by-county plans to distribute COVID-19 vaccine
Hours before the doors opened, Ray Gardner, 78, also arrived with his lawn chair in the trailer.
“I’m still planning a few miles on my feet so that’s a great way to do it and it’s easy, it’s great, you can go out and walk early in the morning,” Gardner said.
On Monday, people started lining up at Lane Wiley Senior Center on Westside and the Mandarin Senior Center at 5 a.m. The scene was similar on Tuesday, with seniors ignoring the town’s request not to show up before the center parking lot opened at 10 am and were allowed to queue early.
The city said Monday it was learning as it went. They had said that from Tuesday they would not allow anyone to line up until 10 a.m. – an hour before the doors open.
Only that’s not how it turned out at the beginning.
“Unlike a lot of other cities, we’re not going to be draconian. I’m not going to ask the police to physically remove people or dismiss the elderly, ”Mayor Lenny Curry told The Morning Show on Tuesday. “The rule is not to queue before 10 am. It’s not necessary. However, those who are there and do it do so in a safe manner. I understand that people are worried about not getting it, but, again, we answered all the requests yesterday and we’re just going to keep working with people.
At one point, people were given a ticket and said they could come back later in the day when the line was shorter.
“They made it a lot easier by doing it that way and everyone is good,” said Pat Brennan.
The city said nearly 1,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are available every day between the two sites as efforts continue to vaccinate the most vulnerable.
Curry pointed out that the supply is provided by the federal government to the state, and then by the state to the city. He said their first dose allocation was around 10,000 doses, and when those are gone, the city will have to wait for more supplies before distributing more vaccines.
“The reason we asked the state to allow us to make distributions is because we have demonstrated our ability to distribute things to people during COVID-19 in a safe, efficient and responsible manner,” said Curry.
Although vaccinations are given on a first come, first served basis (no appointment necessary), eligible residents should only visit a vaccination site on the day associated with their month of birth, according to the following schedule:
- Monday – January and February
- Tuesday – March and April
- Wednesday – May and June
- Thursday – July and August
- Friday – September and October
- Saturday – November and December
These two vaccination sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, even if the line will be cut at 6 p.m. or when they run out of the allowance for the day:
- Mandarin Seniors Center, 3848 Hartley Road
- Lane Wiley Seniors Center, 6710 Wiley Road
All patients must provide photo ID that shows their date of birth and proves their residence in Duval County. First responders and healthcare workers should also bring a work badge.
Toilets inside the senior centers will be available after the building opens for the day.
After receiving the vaccine, patients should remain on site for at least 15 minutes to be monitored for potential reactions by healthcare professionals and emergencies. Depending on the medical history, some people may have to wait 30 minutes. Although allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are rare, the city said, this safety measure is in place out of caution. Patients will be able to choose to receive email and SMS reminders regarding their second dose.
To facilitate a safe and organized vaccination process, patients should adhere to the following guidelines:
- Masks must be worn at all times.
- Physical distance requirements must be observed at all times.
- People who feel ill should not go to a vaccination site.
- Only caregivers can accompany patients requiring assistance to a vaccination site.
- Patients must park in designated parking areas; patients cannot be dropped off.
- Overnight parking and queuing will not be allowed.
- Patients should follow traffic patterns and instructions from traffic monitors (a map is available at JaxReady.com/Virus?).
Patients should print and bring a completed DOH vaccine screening and consent form to the vaccination site. The form is available on COJ.net/CovidVaccineForm.
Between the two sites, the city hopes to vaccinate just under 1,000 people each day with the Pfizer vaccine – Mandarin will provide 500 vaccines per day, while up to 475 vaccines will be distributed in Lane Wiley, according to the city. When the daily supply is depleted, remaining patients will have the option of returning on their assigned day the following week or making an appointment with the Florida Department of Health for the Prime Osborn site.
Vaccinations are still done by appointment at the Prime Osborn Convention Center, but demand for appointments has exceeded supply – which will likely continue for the foreseeable future. In response, the city announced last week that it was converting senior centers into Mandarin and on the west side of COVID-19 testing sites into places to receive the vaccine.
Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax – All rights reserved.
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