HIALEAH, Fla. — The COVID-19 vaccine is coming to two popular pharmacy chains in Miami-Dade County.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that senior citizens will be able to schedule appointments to receive the vaccine at all 31 Navarro Discount Pharmacy locations and all 35 CVS Pharmacy y Mas locations in Miami-Dade County.
"Fifteen traditional CVS stores will also be offering the vaccine in numerous other counties," DeSantis said during a news conference at a Navarro Discount Pharmacy in Hialeah. "There's going to be one of those in Dade."
DeSantis said those locations were "selected to help ensure vaccines reach underserved areas."
He said there will also be two locations in Broward, one in Palm Beach, one in Collier, one in Hillsborough, one in Manatee, one in Hendry, two in Polk, one in St. Lucie, one in Volusia, one in Flagler, one in Gadsden and one in Escambia counties.
Registration for the Navarro Discount Pharmacy and CVS Pharmacy y Mas locations will begin Wednesday.
DeSantis said each site will perform more than 100 shots per day.
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"This really provides a strong retail pharmacy footprint for Miami-Dade County," he said.
DeSantis said 42% of Miami-Dade County seniors have received one shot.
"This pharmacy is going to be able to bring those numbers up, I think, very quickly, and I would compare Dade to Palm Beach (County)," he said. "Palm Beach has a very elderly population. Fifty-seven% of those seniors, though, have received a shot."
DeSantis credited the large number of Publix locations, which was the first private pharmacy in Florida to offer the vaccine, for the surge.
"So I think this is really, really significant in increasing those numbers in Dade very quickly," he said.