ORLANDO, Fla. – Winn-Dixie has expanded its vaccine eligibility requirements to include educators and child care workers of all ages and medically vulnerable individuals.
The move comes after other store chains, including CVS, Walmart and Publix expanded their criteria to follow federal guidelines after President Joe Biden ordered earlier this week that educators and child care workers across the U.S. be inoculated by the end of the month.
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“This expansion now includes appointments for newly eligible groups such as day care workers, preschool teachers and educators in elementary, middle and high schools to be vaccinated with no age limit, in accordance with new Federal Retail Pharmacy Program guidelines,” a spokesperson for the grocery store chain said in a news release on Friday. “In addition, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores will also administer vaccinations to persons under the age of 65 deemed medically vulnerable by a physician, in accordance with the recent executive order by the state of Florida.”
The decision to vaccinate those deemed “extremely vulnerable” under the age of 65 is in line with a recent executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis, which expanded the state’s eligibility requirements.
In addition to the expanded criteria, Winn-Dixie has also added 55 new locations and 11 additional counties to its list of vaccination sites, including locations in Flagler, Osceola and Seminole counties.
Appointments and proof of eligibility are required for anyone hoping to get vaccinated, according to the company. Appointments can be made here.
“While making their appointment, educators will need to follow the prompts in the online scheduler to attest to their eligibility. Medically vulnerable individuals under the age of 65 will need to present the FDOH form for physicians to certify that they are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 and eligible to receive the vaccine. A link to the form can be found on the online scheduler website for easy reference and use,” the release said.
Those planning to get the shot under the “extremely vulnerable” criteria should have this form filled out by their doctor.