Mother, daughter inoculated while vaccine reaches Jacksonville long-term care facilities

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On Friday, the rehabilitation of the River City in Jacksonville became the first in the area to begin vaccinating residents under the federal CDC Pharmacy Partnership.

The United States later added a second COVID-19 vaccine to its arsenal, stepping up efforts to remove the outbreak.

About 80 people agreed to receive the vaccine on Friday. On Thursday night, Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a tweet that things are three days ahead of schedule – the Florida Health Care Association did not expect the vaccine to begin reaching homes in Northeast Florida at least Monday .

Angela Smith was hired as a receptionist at a nursing home at the beginning of the pandemic to be closer to her 86-year-old mother. She jumped at the chance of being vaccinated against the virus. And her mother got the vaccine.

As of Friday, more than 7,000 long-term care residents and staff in Florida have died from COVID-19 complications.

Kristen Knapp of the Florida Health Care Association said that next week, Florida will see more widespread vaccinations across pharmacies.

“Pharmacies will come on site, facilities have space available to set up these clinics on site,” Knapp explained. “It makes it much more rational and efficient, because the people are there. We can vaccinate them. The staff is there. We can vaccinate them too. “

After a month of separation, Smith said she was eager for her mother to reconnect with her family.

“For me, it means a lot to let my mother see her sisters and my sister, who have a medical condition, who can’t see my mother, and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” Smith said.

Baptist Health of Jacksonville said the team remembers receiving the first 250 doses on Friday.

“It’s a big day. It’s a very interesting day, “said Kelly Guion, a nurse. “I was very excited to get my vaccine and start this journey to get back to a certain type of normal.”