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First Coast Connect

COVID Vaccine Arrives In Jax; Guardian Ad Litems; Obamacare; Chef Ned Pollack

UF Health Jacksonville

After a long and difficult year in this pandemic, some good news is finally on the horizon.

UF Health Jacksonville received its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Monday. These first shipments of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine will first be given to health care workers, then seniors and others at higher risk for the disease. Chad Nielsen, an Infection Prevention Specialist at the hospital, joined us with an update.

Related: Local, State, And National Coronavirus Coverage

Guardian Ad Litem

For children in Florida’s foster care system, finding a forever home is the ultimate gift for the holidays. 

Guardian ad Litems, who are volunteer advocates for abused, abandoned and neglected children, play a key role in the adoption process. Right now, the Guardian ad Litem program needs more than 250 volunteers to be a voice for children in Clay, Duval and Nassau Counties.

Alan Pickert, a Guardian ad Litem and Partner at the Terrell Hogan law firm; and Vanessa Trivento, the Guardian ad Litem Circuit Director with the Fourth Judicial Circuit, joined us with more information.

Affordable Care Act

Tuesday is the last day this year to enroll in a health insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) if you want coverage next year. The ACA is also commonly referrred to as Obamacare.

Thousands of people in Duval County qualify for plans with low to no cost monthly premiums.Florida Blue, which is headquartered here in Jacksonville, is going into more neighborhoods than they ever have before to help people get covered. Market President Darnell Smith joined us with details.

Ned’s Kitchen Cookbook

Chef Ned Pollack has been involved in St. Augustine since the 1970’s. And he’s about to release his first cookbook- just in time for the holidays! He joined us to tell us all about it.

Heather Schatz can be reached at hschatz@wjct.org or on Twitter at @heatherschatz.

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Heather is the senior producer of WJCT 89.9 FM talk shows including First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross, the Florida Roundup and What's Health Got to Do with It?