ORLANDO, Fla. — A pop-up drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site is coming to an Orlando Walmart on Thursday, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
A Walmart spokeswoman said there will be three pop-up vaccination sites across Florida.
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One of them is set to open Thursday at the Walmart on Princeton Street on the west side of Orlando. Officials said the vaccines will be provided through the U.S. Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.
The next five days the site will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Orlando Commissioner Bakari Burns has been pushing for increased vaccination opportunities in the city’s underserved communities.
Commissioner Bakari Burns said he is glad Walmart picked the Princeton Street store in part because it’s near many predominantly Black neighborhoods.
Walmart officials said it is holding vaccine events in locations that prioritize access for those deemed most vulnerable, as well as operational capabilities. The chain factored in demographic information, local health needs, staffing and medically underserved data to identify locations for the pop-up locations.
“We have two goals as we administer vaccines: first, to get as many shots in eligible arms as possible so we can start the process of reopening our country, and second, ensuring equitable vaccine access across the communities we serve,” Dr. Cheryl Pegus, Executive Vice President, Health & Wellness, said in a statement. “We will continue finding new ways to increase vaccination access for our customers as we work towards the eventual end of the pandemic.”
People age 65 and older, health care personnel with direct patient contact and residents and staff of long-term care facilities can schedule a vaccine appointments online by clicking here.
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City leaders are working to help seniors like Nellie Wellon, of Orlando, who aren’t tech savvy get some of the appointments by phone.
Welllon said she’s getting vaccinated at the new pop-up vaccination site on Thursday.
“It’s like it’s done. It feels good. It’s just a matter of me going there,” she said.
Wellon said she’s been to the Walmart location before and is happy to have scored an appointment at a familiar place, unlike the Orange County Convention Center.