Line forms at the end of the opening day for the FEMA vaccine at Gateway Mall

JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – Several teachers and police officers lined up in the rain on Wednesday morning to be among the first to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the new federally run site at the Gateway Mall in Jacksonville. Hundreds of people were vaccinated in the new location, in the mall parking lot on Norwood Avenue, off Interstate 95. He can vaccinate 2,000 people with the Pfizer vaccine.

“Very efficient,” said Sandy Medlock, a health worker. “They have everything lined up. They ask a question, direct you to a line. After receiving the vaccine, they place it two meters away. “

Throughout the day, people could enter directly. A queue started to form after 5 pm and grew until the place closed, at 7 pm.

Another 1,000 people can shoot daily at two satellite locations – the Hammond Senior Center in Northwest Jacksonville and the Normandy Community Center in Westside – also run by FEMA. They also seem to work well on the opening day.

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“It will help me to be a more effective teacher, because I will be more relaxed in the classroom because I got the vaccine and I am taking as many precautions as possible,” said Professor Joy Schreck as she left one of the satellite centers.

In addition to the new locations, new guidelines ordered by Governor Ron DeSantis began on Wednesday to give school officials, police and firefighters aged 50 and over and those with a medical certificate that they are extremely vulnerable to complications from the virus. These people are in addition to those over 65 and any health professional with direct contact with the patient who has qualified to be vaccinated since the beginning of the year.

“We continue to check with Winn-Dixie (e) Publix. They were registered, ”said Mary Billings. “Go down and get it. This will be the best place. “

The new website is administered by the federal government and is supported by FEMA and the military. It is one of four federally supported sites now open in Florida.

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People are encouraged to register for photos online (myvaccine.fl.gov) or by phone (866-200-3762), but it is not necessary. People can come in directly.

The Gateway site is expected to be active for at least 60 days, although satellite sites must be relocated every seven to 10 days.