DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – After a few hectic days with the distribution of the vaccine in Volusia County, county leaders are changing the way they will handle vaccines going forward.
This includes a new location and a new online system.
What do you need to know
- The vaccine site reached capacity around 6 am, for the second consecutive day
- Seniors said they just want to be able to hug their grandchildren again
- Volusia changed the distribution of the vaccine to Deltona as of Thursday
- The county also started to book appointments online, all scheduled
- RELATED: Getting a Vaccine in Central Florida: What You Need to Know
On Thursday and Friday, 1,000 elderly people per day will receive the vaccine Moderna COVID-19 by appointment only. The appointments aired at 3 pm on Tuesday afternoon, and all were claimed at 3:11 pm
This change is welcome for the elderly who missed the opportunity to get vaccinated at the Daytona Stadium on Monday and Tuesday.
At 6 am on Tuesday, the vaccine site at Daytona Stadium – which received 1,000 people a day on a first come first served basis – had closed its line. Some drivers have camped in their cars since 7pm on Monday.
Vaccines were not scheduled to start until 9 am
The elderly people I spoke with had been in line since 2:30 pm on Monday to be vaccinated THIS morning at the Daytona Stadium. They slept in their cars at night with plenty of food / water, and they say it was worth it!
“I hope to get the next photo soon, to see the rest of my family.”@ MyNews13 https://t.co/Nb4y1iaLFO pic.twitter.com/DHLhxZjjdU
– JSotoNews13 (@ JSotoNews13) January 5, 2021
On Monday, hundreds of people were rejected after dozens of cars lined up on LPGA Boulevard. The city decided to open the gates early for Tuesday, citing security.
According to Daytona Beach Police, officers would not let anyone park overnight, but were quickly overwhelmed by the number of people who attended.
The Baileys got in line from 2:30 pm on Monday and brought food and water so they could sleep all night in the car. But when the site reached maximum capacity and the line was closed, they were still on the line 6 miles away.
“I would like to see my grandchildren, spend time with them. I hope I can have the next chance soon, so I can see the rest of my family,” said Edward Bailey.
The Haldermans are snow birds from Missouri who also slept in their car.
“It was very good, because Missouri is a little late. They are still making nursing homes and that sort of thing, ”said Kathy Halderman.
On Monday, Roger Phillips said he was rejected after being told he could not camp on Sunday night. Then he was faced with a decision after the line for Tuesday’s vaccinations started to form at noon.
Phillips tried again on Tuesday morning.
“I will not move. … If they threaten me with a fine, give me the fine, I’ll pay the fine. But I think it is worth more to me and my wife to be able to see our grandchildren and love them than to be rejected as we were this morning, ”he told Spectrum News at the time.
After trying to get vaccinated at Daytona Stadium, Roger Phillips is happy to now have an appointment to be vaccinated in Deltona! Volusia is moving from first come, first serve, to appointments. 2,000 appointments scheduled today for the end of the week @ MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/vvkimF8pa5
– Nicole Griffin (@ NicoleNews13) January 5, 2021
Phillips was able to arrange meetings for him and his wife on Tuesday afternoon. He said he had difficulty making reservations online, but managed to make an appointment over the phone.
“I just think they need a better program, they need a better plan, a more effective plan to launch this vaccine,” said Phillips.
For those who are no longer vaccinated, more vaccines must arrive in Volusia County.
According to city leaders in DeLand, they approved several locations to be used as vaccine distribution points. They claimed they could have a vaccination event as early as next week.