JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry released details about a new supply of Pfizer vaccines available at a Northside senior center during a news conference Thursday.
Curry said vaccines will be administered at Clanzel T. Brown Senior Center located at 4575 Moncrief Road on Friday, Feb. 5, and Saturday, Feb. 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Florida Health Department has supplied the City with 975 vials of each dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Five hundred vaccines will be administered the first day, while the remaining 475 will be administered the following day.
Scroll down for more information regarding how to get a vaccine at this location.
Several members of the City Council joined Curry during Thursday's news conference to speak directly to constituents living in the Northside community.
"We need you to show up," urged Councilwoman Ju'Coby Pittman."Because we're bringing services that is essential and we need you to be here for your first shot and we need you to be here for your second shot... we're in an area where we know COVID is high and it's increasing."
Councilwoman Brenda A. Priestly Jackson addressed what she called "the elephant in the room" referencing the Tuskegee trials and the history of exploitation of people of color within the medical community.
"This is not that time," said Jackson. "We wouldn't be standing here and wanting to push for this if we didn't have full faith and confidence in the viability of the vaccine..."
82-year-old Fannie Griffin, Northside resident excited to hear the news knowing more vaccines are on the way.
“When the phone call came through, I was overjoyed because I thought yes, because my doctor doesn’t have anymore right now," said Griffin.
The city making it a goal to reach the underserved areas of Jacksonville. The northside being one of them.
“Here we are better able to reach sections of our community that are less likely to have reliable transportation or at a higher risk of contracting covid-19 and more likely to suffer severe symptoms," said Mayor Lenny Curry.
Dr. Pablo Pella, Medical Doctor at Overflow Health Alliance, an outreach non-profit located on Moncrief Road, says he believes the community could benefit from this.
“I think everybody should be vaccinated because what is the alternative of catching COVID-19 and ending up getting very sick from it.”
Griffin says she’s thankful for this opportunity, but she has a concern about the accessibility.
“It’s inconvenient because I have to get someone to bring me and pick me up and I have to know ahead of time," said Griffin.
A concern many people may have. The city is making efforts to make it easier for neighbors.
JTA and AME Ministers Alliance will be providing free transportation Friday and Saturday to the site.
On Wednesday, Black faith and community leaders gathered in Jacksonville to propose additional locations for vaccination sites in targeted marginalized communities. Specifically, leaders advocated for vaccination sites to be placed at historically Black churches.
Curry said during the news conference that he's been in talks with Governor Ron DeSantis about the requests for additional sites in marginalized communities and that the site at Clanzel T. Brown Senior Center will hopefully be the first of many.
Additional sites however are dependent on state vaccine allocation.
RELATED: Faith, community leaders propose 80+ vaccination sites in marginalized communities across Florida
How to get a vaccine
By State order, the vaccines are still limited to individuals who are 65 years of age or older, frontline medical personnel or first responders.
No appointment is necessary, but to avoid large crowds and promote responsible physical distancing, eligible patients should only visit the vaccination site on the day associated with their birth month:
- Friday - January to June
- Saturday - July to December
All patients must provide a photo ID that shows their birthdate, while first responders and healthcare workers should also bring an employee badge. For convenience, patients will be offered a voucher that allows them to return to the site the same day to receive the vaccine. While the DOH Vaccine Screening and Consent Form will be at the site, patients are encouraged to print and bring a completed form to reduce their wait time.
The form is available at COJ.net/CovidVaccineForm.
Rules for those that qualify
To facilitate a safe and organized vaccination process, patients must adhere to the following rules:
- A mask must be worn at all times
- Physical distancing requirements must be followed at all times
- Individuals who are feeling sick should not go to a vaccination site
- Patients should be in line no earlier than 8 a.m. and no later than 4 p.m.
- Only caretakers may accompany patients who require assistance to the vaccination site
- Patients must park in the designated parking areas; patients cannot be dropped off at the line
- Parking and waiting in line overnight will not be permitted
After receiving the vaccine, patients must stay on-site for at least 15 minutes to be monitored for potential reactions by healthcare and emergency professionals. Based on medical history, some individuals may be required to wait 30 minutes. While allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are rare, this safety measure is in place out of an abundance of caution.
Patients must return to Clanzel T. Brown Senior Center 21 days after the first shot to receive the second dose. Reminders about the follow-up appointment will be provided via phone call and text message.
COVID-19 testing
Because of the vaccination operation, Agape Health, a City-contracted COVID-19 testing provider that normally operates out of the senior center, will temporarily move testing to the following locations:
- AGAPE Dunn - 1680 Dunn Ave. – 32218
- AGAPE Blanding - 5460 Blanding Blvd. – 32244
These testing locations will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, and Friday, Feb. 5.
For assistance, citizens may call 630-CITY (2489) to be connected to a customer care representative.
Free rides available
JTA has direct service to Clanzel T. Brown Senior Center via Route 3 – Moncrief. It also provides direct service through the Northside ReadiRide Zone and a new Northwest Core ReadiRide Zone established to service the area
The JTA offers FREE rides to those who are going to get a vaccine with ID.
For ReadiRide reservations:
- Customers should call at least 24 hours in advance of their appointment by calling 904-679-4555.
- Seniors just need to show their I.D. to the driver to ride FREE
More information on all JTA efforts for vaccinations can be found at health.jtafla.com