Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that the state’s partnership with Publix to distribute the coronavirus vaccine has expanded to six more counties.
The addition of Palm Beach, Martin, Monroe, Brevard, Lee and Charlotte counties gives the partnership 242 stores in 18 counties. .
The governor, at a media briefing in Jupiter, said the vaccine will be available beginning Thursday at 67 Publix pharmacies in Palm Beach County, seven in Martin County and two in Monroe County (Islamorada and Key West).
Later in the day, he announced the addition of 32 Publix locations in Lee County, seven in Charlotte and 22 in Brevard.
Inoculations are only for people 65 and older at this time. Appointments are required and can be made beginning Wednesday at publix.com/covid-vaccine.
DeSantis said Palm Beach was the largest county so far in the program.
“Up to this point, we've done medium-size counties with high senior populations," he said. "This is the first really large county that we're doing with a high senior population.”
He cited the continuing effort to vaccinate senior citizens across the state, and that 25 percent of the county's residents are 65 and older.
WHERE TO GET IT: List of Publix pharmacies administering the vaccine
“When I met with folks in the county,” DeSantis said, “they said that by their calculations, 90 percent of all seniors in Palm Beach County live within a mile and a half of at least one Publix."
On Jan. 5, 22 stores in Hernando, Citrus and Marion counties were announced as the first that would administer the vaccine. The rollout was expanded last week to include five counties in the western Panhandle, along with Collier, Flagler, St. Johns and Volusia.
