Publix vaccine deal leaves many seniors out in cold
Commissioner McKinlay says she’s ‘absolutely disgusted’
With Publix assuming near full control over COVID-19 vaccines in Palm Beach County, irate public officials are concerned that the rollout is unfair and leaves minorities out of luck.
“I am absolutely disgusted the governor of this state has 100% percent taken the ability to vaccinate our residents in Palm Beach County out of the hands of our public health officials and medical officials and given that authority to a corporate entity,” County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said Tuesday.
McKinlay’s comments added to a chorus across the state about Florida’s failure to inoculate seniors efficiently. Gov. Ron DeSantis has been widely criticized for a vaccine rollout that has left seniors waiting in long lines, hanging on phone lines for hours and wondering when they’ll get the protection they were promised.
The uproar is acute in Palm Beach County, home to roughly 400,000 senior citizens. Dr. Alina Alonso, the state health department director in the county, said vaccines initially earmarked
for the department of health were instead reallocated to Publix pharmacies.
“We’re the only county where all this vaccine is going to Publix until [the governor] chooses other counties to do this,” Alonso said. “That’s not in our hands — the health care district or the health department.”
McKinlay, at a commissioners’ meeting Tuesday, criticized DeSantis’ reliance on Publix, saying it severely limits the county’s ability to vaccinate significant portions of the population who don’t live close to a Publix, all while the COVID-19 vaccine supply remains so limited.
State data shows that minorities in Palm Beach County have lagged far behind in receiving the vaccine. Of the 122,550 people in Palm Beach County who have received the first dose, 71% are white, while only 3.6% are Hispanic and 3% Black.
“We can’t overlook the fact we have a whole underserved population,” County Commissioner Robert Weinroth said. “This is not equity. This is not fair. And if I was out in the Glades or if I was sitting in Lake Worth or downtown Delray and I was not getting this vaccine, I would be offended.”
The state contends that Publix has helped Florida expand its reach in vaccinating seniors amid huge demand. Publix recently began offering appointments at pharmacies across much of the state, including any of the 67 Publix pharmacies in Palm Beach County, the first county in South Florida to participate.
DeSantis’ office late Tuesday pushed back on McKinlay’s comments, saying they were “outrageous and completely baseless.”
A spokeswoman pointed out that DeSantis met with numerous Palm Beach County officials on Jan. 12 to discuss the idea of Publix partnering with the county. County Mayor Dave Kerner, County Administrator Verdenia Baker and County Commissioner Mack Bernard were all present for the meeting.
“Not only was Commissioner McKinlay noticeably absent from the discussion,” a state spokeswoman said, “but she also must have missed that the request for vaccine to be sent to Publix locations came at the county’s request.”
Kerner sided with the state Tuesday, saying he was “very thankful Gov. DeSantis selected [Palm Beach County] to be the first large-county recipient of the Publix support team.”
“[Publix] has been a great partner, and I’m supportive of any logistical partner that gets shots into our arms of our residents,” Kerner said.
In December, Publix donated $100,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis political action committee, as reported by the Miami New Times. DeSantis’ office denied that the donation played any role in Publix receiving its vaccine role, telling the Lakeland Ledger that those claims were “baseless and ridiculous.”
The Publix registration system has frustrated many seniors, however — partly because there is not enough vaccine in Florida to go around.
In less than 2½ hours Friday, Publix reserved more than 48,900 appointments, but many seniors were bitterly disappointed they were unable to get a place in line.
McKinlay noted that some Publix stores in Palm Beach County don’t have pharmacies, leaving some seniors too far away from a Publix to get the vaccine.
“I use the term ‘vaccine desert,’ ” she said. “We’re moving all of this into the hands of Publix” and yet it’s 108 miles from the Publix in Loxahatchee Groves to the store at State Road 80, she said.