Second monoclonal treatment site opens in Jacksonville at senior center

Beth Reese Cravey, Florida Times-Union
·2 min read
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, seen with Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida's surgeon general, addresses a question during a Jan. 4 news conference in Jacksonville to discuss COVID-19 testing policy and monoclonal antibody treatment availability.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, seen with Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida's surgeon general, addresses a question during a Jan. 4 news conference in Jacksonville to discuss COVID-19 testing policy and monoclonal antibody treatment availability.
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A second monoclonal antibody therapy site opened Tuesday in Jacksonville, two weeks after Gov. Ron DeSantis called on the federal government to increase access to the COVID-19 treatment.

The new site at the Duval County Senior Center at 10080 Beach Blvd. will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, the Florida Department of Health announced Monday.

Jacksonville opened its first monoclonal antibody site in August at the Main Library, relocating it last month to the Joseph Lee Center at 5120 Perry St.

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In early January, DeSantis called on the federal government to increase Florida's supply of "lifesaving" monoclonal antibody treatments to at least 30,000 doses per week. A few days later he announced the state had obtained 15,000 doses of Regeneron to support new monoclonal antibody sites.

The Duval Senior Center is one of five new sites statewide. The others are in Sunrise, Miami, Lake Worth and Altamonte Springs. For a full list of Florida sites, go to floridahealthcovid19.gov/treatments/treatmentlocator.

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Monoclonal antibodies help the immune system "recognize and respond" to the virus, according to the state Health Department. The treatment can prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death in high-risk patients ages 12 and up who have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19.

The treatment should be administered as soon as possible after diagnosis, according to the agency.

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 'Lifesaving' monoclonal treatment sites expand in Florida, Jacksonville