JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Come Monday, Floridians 50 and up will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. In response, the state’s division of emergency management began deploying mobile vaccination sites.
One of those sites — Community Health Outreach on the Westside — was told to cancel Saturday’s vaccination event. CHO tells Action News Jax the order came from the state.
CHO says the state wasn’t able to get enough providers in time to work the event Saturday, and ultimately had to pull the plug.
For eight years now, Vietnam Veteran Richard DuMiller has been serving those in need through CHO.
“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he told Action News Jax.
Coming in close contact with lots of people, DuMiller was excited to get vaccinated against COVID-19 Saturday. But that didn’t happen.
“This is a new initiative by Emergency Management. We were contacted just this week about it and they’re deploying these throughout the state,” Community Health Outreach’s executive director Meredith Smith explained.
“The mobile units will be critical to getting vaccines out.”
Smith says CHO offered to host the event. The nonprofit must take direction from the state, Smith says.
“They said they couldn’t do it because of the lack of providers today,” she added.
CHO was set to start serving as a site Saturdays and Wednesdays; this Saturday would’ve been day one.
Meanwhile, DuMiller is staying positive.
“I’m a patient man. I’m a veteran, and if I don’t get it done here I’ll have it done in April at the VA,” DuMiller said.
Smith says CHO is ready to go once the state gives her team the green light.
CHO serves hundreds of people in the community, giving them food, diapers, clothing, medical and dental care.
CHO says getting vaccines out is critical.
TOP STORIES:
Busy Sunday for Jacksonville Fire and Rescue team
Fatal crash in Riverside early Sunday Morning
Florida vaccine eligibility expands to 50 and up Monday, Governor DeSantis says
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/04-22-2024/t_ce7544ba150e4c27a8bfb667adb18b39_name_file_960x540_1200_v3_1_.jpg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/04-22-2024/t_2ed9b79169dc4769babdade6a9c7c303_name_file_960x540_1200_v3_1_.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/WJVERMTCKFHFPBF2LNONHSDB4M.jpg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/04-22-2024/t_f5f241e0aad44a77a07c6df361d48410_name_file_960x540_1200_v3_1_.jpg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/04-23-2024/t_d94a465502b4497d8326e8345fe53dff_name_file_1920x1080_1200_v3_1_.jpg)