Publix pharmacies in Manatee County to receive COVID vaccine doses this week

BRADENTON, Fla. - Manatee County officials announced that some Publix pharmacies and one Winn-Dixie location will begin receiving doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this week.

The county said 18 Publix locations have been identified for one week’s worth of distribution, in addition to one Winn-Dixie pharmacy. They will announce those exact locations at a later date.

Those pharmacies are receiving the vaccines through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, and shipments are expected to arrive as early as Feb. 11.

"We do not have any further information on the program but expect them to be operational late this week or the first of next week provided they receive their doses," Jacob Saur, director of public safety, said in a statement.

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Publix is expected to receive 384 doses per week per store.

"If that is the case, that could mean an additional 6,912 persons could get schedules at these stores," Saur explained. "Combine that with the 5,100 we have been receiving and Manatee County could see vaccinations almost double in the coming weeks."

So far, Publix has been offering vaccines to those who are 65 and older in many counties across the state, including Citrus, Hernando, Pasco and Pinellas.

LINK: Appointments are required and can only be made on the Publix website: Publix.com/covid-vaccine.

LINK: Information on Winn-Dixie’s role in vaccinations can be found here.

The federal government recently announced Walmart and Sam’s Club in 22 states, including Florida, will join the vaccination effort. They were scheduled to receive shipments this week, and appointments can be made through their website sometime after.