Publix opens COVID vaccine appointments to people 18 and up for a shot at Moderna
Publix, following Florida guidelines, opens its vaccine scheduling to any Florida residents 18 years old and older on Friday, April 2.
Though the state officially lowers the eligibility age to 16 and older on Monday, April 5 (Moderna requires 18 and up) appointments booked on Publix’s portal are scheduled for Tuesday, April 6. Moderna will be dispensed that day at the grocery chain.
The booking portal opened at 7 a.m. Friday and slots quickly filled in Monroe, where there are fewer Publix stores. Miami-Dade, Broward and Manatee counties had fewer than 1% availability by 7:45 a.m. By 8:30 a.m., these counties, including Palm Beach, were booked. Several, like Alachua, Clay, Leon and Duval, among them, still had slots open. You can try for a county with availability if you live in Florida.
If you miss your shot, the next chance to book an appointment with Publix is 7 a.m. Monday, April 5, when the grocery chain will schedule appointments for Wednesday through Friday when Moderna will be given.
Publix also is giving the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine but supplies are limited and are only dispensed on Saturday and Sunday at Publix. Appointments for the weekend J&J vaccine are taken on the portal at 7 a.m. Wednesday. J&J also is for those age 18 and older. Only Pfizer, which is not available at Publix, has a lower age eligibility of 16.
This story was originally published April 2, 2021 at 8:14 AM.
