Winn-Dixie, Walmart, and Publix all expect to be taking reservations for COVID-19 vaccinations this month at stores with pharmacies as part of a partnership with the federal government.

Walgreen's also is participating in the partnership at 97 stores in 19 Florida counties, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced.


What You Need To Know

  • Select Winn-Dixie, Publix, Walmart pharmacies in Florida are offering COVID vaccinations

  • The shots are part of a partnership with the federal government

  • Publix is now offering appointments at all 730 of its in-store Florida pharmacies 

  • Publix will open registration at new locations Friday, February 26

Winn-Dixie said Thursday, February 25 that it was expanding to 64 the list of locations where it will offer Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations. It also opened up its portal to register for appointments on its website to those additional locations soon. It did not specify the new date. Vaccinations originally began at significantly fewer locations on Thursday, February 11.

The list of Winn-Dixie stores offering the vaccinations in Central Florida includes locations in Bushnell, Dunnellon, Silver Springs, Lady Lake, Leesburg, The Villages, Edgewater, Ormond Beach, Orlando, and Palm Bay.  In the Tampa Bay area, the stores include select locations in Homosassa, Auburndale, Plant City, Beverly Hills, Sarasota, Lutz, Spring Hill, Inverness, Holiday, Apollo Beach, Tampa, Riverview, and Bradenton. In total, vaccinations will be offered at 69 Winn-Dixie locations throughout Florida.

A Fresco y Mas store in Tampa also will be providing vaccinations. Southeastern Grocers own both Winn-Dixie and Fresco y Mas.

Publix announced on February 25 that it's opening its online reservation system for COVID-19 vaccination appointments at all 730 of its in-store Florida pharmacies. 

Appointment scheduling will continue as long as supplies last. It previously had scheduled new appointments starting February 12 in new locations in Alachua, Clay, Columbia, Desoto, Duval, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Leon, Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter, and Suwannee counties.

Vaccination appointments are scheduled online only. As of March 5 in accordance with state and federal requrements, vaccinations will be administered to adults under the age of 65 who are determined to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by a physician (a completed state of Florida form is required); all kindergarten through 12th-grade school emplpyees; health-care professionals with direct patient contact and residents or staff members of long-term care facilities; individuals ages 50 and older who are firefighters or sworn law enforcement officers; and individuals ages 65 and older. Appointments cannot be made by calling the stores. 

Publix's online reservation system typically opens every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, as long as the company continues to receive vaccine doses from the state and federal governments and barring unforeseen circumstances. Appointments may not be available in every county during every scheduling opportunity.

Select Publix locations previously receiving vaccine from the state are now getting allocations from the federal government through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. Publix previously offered a vaccination program through the state in 23 Florida counties, including three in the Tampa Bay area (Citrus, Hernando, and Pinellas) and four in Central Florida (Brevard, Flagler, Marion, and Volusia counties).

Select Walmarts or Sam Clubs in the following local counties were offering vaccinations: Brevard, Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Orange, Hernando, Marion, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sumter. 

Sam's Club also has information about the vaccine on its website, but you must be a member to view the details. 

On March 11, DeSantis announced that Walgreens had expanded the nunber of stores in Florida participating in the federal program to 97 stores in 19 counties, starting March 12. In the Central Florida and Tampa Bay areas, those stores include five in Citrus County, one in Lake County, eight in Manatee, 12 in Marion, 13 in Pasco, eight in Polk, five in Sarasota, and one in Sumter County. The specific stores were not revealed.

On March 5, DeSantis had said that two Walgreens stores in Marion County were taking part. Those stores were both in Ocala, one on Silver Springs Boulevard and one on Marion Oaks Boulevard. To register, go to the Walgreens website.

Vaccination appointments are scheduled online only. Appointments cannot be made by calling the stores.

Front-line health-care workers can also sign up for vaccinations at the retail pharmacy appointment systems.

Publix COVID-19 Vaccination Locations in Florida

Publix COVID-19 Vaccination Locations by Dale Greenstein on Scribd

Walmart COVID-19 Vaccination Locations in Florida

Walmart COVID-19 Vaccination Locations by Dale Greenstein on Scribd