Lem Turner Road Walmart’s switch from Moderna to Pfizer vaccine is causing confusion for some seniors

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Walmart store on Lem Turner Road on the north side of Jacksonville will administer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, according to a statement the company sent to News4Jax on Thursday.

The statement said that while the store at 12100 Lem Turner Road moves from the Moderna to the Pfizer vaccine, Walmart is directing patients to two nearby locations to receive their second dose of the Moderna vaccine. Those locations are the Walmart store at 6830 Normandy Blvd. and the store at 13227 City Square Drive.

The statement also said Walmart pharmacists are contacting patients who had their first dose at the Lem Turner Road store to schedule their appointment for the second dose of the Moderna vaccine at the Normandy Boulevard or City Square Drive store.

Northside resident Jacqueline Richardson, 71, said she and other family members found themselves in a confusing situation when they learned that they would not be able to get their second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Walmart location on Lem Turner Road.

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“I’m frustrated and I know how to use a computer, but it didn’t make sense to go through all this,” said Richardson.

Richardson said she and other family members in her age group received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine on Feb. 18. She said that after they received their injection, they were instructed to go home and schedule an appointment online to get their second dose.

“When I went online to register, it said no appointments were available. The next day I checked, it said the same. I waited until Monday, and I checked, and it said the same thing, ”Richardson explained.

She called the store and said she spoke to a pharmacy technician who said, “The governor got the Moderna vaccine and sent the Pfizer to them.”

She said the technician she spoke to could not help her and also sounded confused about what to do.

She said, “Contact River City,” Richardson said. “I told her I already looked there, and it says the same thing online: no appointments available.”

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Richardson said she contacted the health department and was referred to the Florida vaccine website to search for Walmart locations where she could book an appointment for her second dose of the Moderna vaccine.

“So there wasn’t one in the city of Jacksonville,” she said. “The closest to us was Leon County, which is Tallahassee.”

She later learned that Edwards Waters College was offering the Moderna vaccine. She also learned that she and her family members didn’t need to make an appointment – just show up.

RELATED: Where, How to Get COVID-19 Vaccines in Northeast Florida

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned people against mixing the vaccines, except in “exceptional situations,” because not enough research has been done on the side effects of mixing the vaccines.

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Walmart headquarters later issued the statement to News4Jax that reads:

“The Lem Turner store will administer the Pfizer vaccine to serve even more people in our communities.

“As the Lem Turner store moves from the Moderna vaccine to the Pfizer vaccine, we are directing patients to two nearby locations to receive their second Moderna dose. These locations are our Normandy Shop (6830 Normandy Jax) and our Airport Shop (13227 City Square Blvd Jax).

“Walmart pharmacists are contacting patients who have had their first dose at Lem Turner to schedule their second Moderna vaccination appointment at one of the two stores listed above.”

Pfizer shots will be given at a pop-up vaccination event taking place Thursday through Monday outside Walmart on Lem Turner Road. Eligible patients can schedule an appointment at www.walmart.com/COVIDvaccine.