Publix Offers COVID Vaccine To FL Teachers With No Age Limits

ACROSS FLORIDA — Publix has joined CVS, Walgreens and Walmart by expanding its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility requirements to all Florida K-12 teachers.

Starting March 5, teachers of all ages will be able to make appointments on the Publix website. Reservations open at 7 a.m. While the federal government doesn't put an age limit on teacher vaccinations, Gov. Ron DeSantis had earlier issued an executive order that only teachers older than 50 could be vaccinated at this time.

But the governor said he supports President Joe Biden's push to immunize all teachers.

"What the federal government has done is said that anybody who works in the school system regardless of age (can get vaccines), so they're able to go in these federal pharmacy sites and the federal sites," DeSantis told reporters at a vaccination site in Sebring on Thursday. "You're 22, and you're a teacher, you can go get it. Now we're (the state) going to focus, prioritizing seniors because the fact of the matter is 95.7 percent of all COVID-related mortality is age 50 and up."

DeSantis said once Florida gets the vaccine administered to a critical mass of senior citizens, the state will lower the age eligibility requirements.

As the federal government has expanded its teacher eligibility requirements, Florida saw an increase of 6,118 positive cases on Thursday, the Florida Department of Health reported. The total number of cases since March 2020 is at 1,930,232 confirmed cases; 80,338 hospitalizations; and 31,955 COVID-related deaths.

In accordance with federal and state requirements, the following groups are allowed to receive vaccines at Publix locations:

• Vaccinations will be administered to adults under the age of 65 who are determined to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by a physician (a completed state of Florida form is required).
• All K-12 and child care teachers and personnel; health care professionals with direct patient contact and residents or staff members of long-term care facilities
• People who are 50 and older who are firefighters or sworn law enforcement officers, and individuals ages 65 and older.

Publix typically opens its vaccine reservations online every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7 a.m. Appointments cannot be made by calling the pharmacy. Appointments may not be available in every county during every registration session.