Want a Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine in Florida? Here’s where to go for your shot

Florida residents who prefer the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine will have to go to one of the state’s four federally supported mega sites in Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami or Orlando in order to get one.

Vaccination sites run by the Florida Division of Emergency Management or local municipalities — the vast majority of the sites in Florida — are not carrying the vaccine, a spokesperson for the Division told the Miami Herald.

“This vaccine will continue to be offered at the federally supported sites in Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa, and those are the best locations for eligible individuals to go if they are interested in receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” spokesperson Jason Mahon said in an email.

Publix pharmacies also appear to be offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Florida, prioritizing K-12 staff, as part of a federal program.

In Tampa the main federal vaccine site is at the Tampa Greyhoud Track, 755 E. Waters Ave. Shots are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

There are also three satellite sites this week and next in Hillsborough and Polk counties offering vaccinations:

• CityLife Church — Dale Mabry, 8411 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, Thursday through Saturday.
• Larry Sanders Sports Complex, 5855 S. 78th St., Tampa, Sunday through Tuesday, March 23
• Oakland Community Center, Haines City, 1008 Avenue D, Haines City, Thursday through Tuesday, March 23

Shots at the satellite sites will be available between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day. They are first-come, first-served and no appointments will be made for these sites.

Unlike the authorized Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines that require two doses separated by about a month, the Johnson & Johnson shot requires only one dose. It also can be stored for three months at normal temperatures, easing distribution efforts and accelerating vaccination rates compared to the currently available vaccines that require ultra cold refrigeration.

The Johnson & Johnson shot is a viral vector vaccine.

It works by delivering a harmless DNA virus called an adenovirus that has been genetically modified so it cannot make copies of itself in humans or cause disease — like a box that contains a user-friendly handbook on anything and everything coronavirus.

These types of viruses, when not manipulated by scientists, cause the common cold, “so they’re good for transporting things into humans,” the company said.

This modified virus carries specific instructions into our cells that teach them how to make the spike protein the novel coronavirus uses to infect people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Many are drawn to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because it is a one-dose regimen. Other prefer it because of its safety profile.

Immediate reactions to the shot 30 minutes post vaccination were “infrequent,” occurring in 0.02% of participants, while there were no reports of anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reactions, immediately after getting jabbed.

Miami Herald Staff Writer Michelle Marchante and McClatchy Staff Writer Katie Camero contributed to this report.

This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 4:53 PM.