Jacksonville targets 10,000 vaccines a day, but challenges lie ahead

In an effort to speed up vaccinations, the city said it will soon begin administering vaccines at test sites later this week.

“We’re working with the State’s Emergency Management Department, which’s getting ready, probably this week – I don’t want to commit to that because it’s their operation – but probably this week, they’ll convert the state’s Regency test site, at least part of their capacity will switch to a vaccination program that will add at least another 1,000 a day, ”said Hughes.

The city also plans to vaccinate at Mandarin Senior Center and Lane Wiley Senior Center at Westside. Hughes said the COVID-19 test will be reduced at these sites and will give rise to vaccinations.

“There is no better way to get out of this pandemic than this vaccine,” said Hughes. “And it is the priority now for us to bring the largest number of vaccines to the largest number of people in the safest and fastest way possible.”

Part of the problem with the deployment of the new vaccine sites will be the cold storage of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

“This is probably one of the biggest impediments to distribution,” said Hughes. “I would like to have two or three people sitting at the front tables. I wish I could throw an Igloo cooler at them and say ‘Hey, if someone comes and wants to give it to them.’ This is not how this vaccine works. “

Councilor Ron Salem, director of PharMerica-Jacksonville, a nursing home pharmacy, said it will be a while before the general public under 65 receives the vaccine.

“We have 125,000 residents in Jacksonville who are in this age group (65+). So even with four or 5,000 a day, it can be for the entire month of January before we start dealing with other people, ”said Salem.

Then there are the challenges of getting more doses of the vaccine and scheduling appointments.

Last week, phone lines broke after thousands tried to call to book vaccination appointments for COVID-19. The Duval County Department of Health then began accepting online applications for appointments and filled vacancies in just over an hour.

Heather Huffman, acting director of the Duval County Department of Health, said on Monday that part of the problem with scheduling is that the vaccine was released faster than the state reserve system that is still under development. As a result, each county must define its own consultation plan.

Hughes said on Tuesday that the city is still trying to find out if there is a way to create appointments that don’t involve an appointment system.

“It may be on certain days of the week. If your month of birth is a certain month of birth, you will be a Monday person. If your birth month is this, then you are a Tuesday person, or something along those lines that helps us manage the flow, but does not create another layer of technology that could interrupt the process. “

For now, the Florida Department of Health in Duval County has said that new consultations for the COVID-19 vaccine will be added via the online system every Thursday at 5 pm.

The health department said the link will change each week and will be posted on the alerts page on the department’s website: duval.floridahealth.gov.

Anyone with doubts should call 904-253-1140, but appointments cannot be made over the phone.