Seniors aged 65 and over and people with health problems that make them extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 can now “save their place in the queue” by pre-registering for the vaccine in Florida through a new website and system from phone.
Health professionals with direct contact with the patient and residents and long-term care staff can also pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The new website is myvaccine.fl.gov. For those who do not have access to the Internet, you can also pre-register by phone. To find the number assigned to your municipality, visit the hotline website.
Anyone pre-registering for a vaccine appointment will be notified when vacancies are available at state-supported vaccination sites in their county, according to the Florida Emergency Management Division, which is responsible for distributing the vaccine in the state. After making an appointment, you will need to prove that you are a resident of Florida.
Florida residents who do not meet the priority criteria can also apply to receive email updates to find out when they will be eligible to receive the vaccine.
How to pre-register
Those who are eligible for the vaccine can choose the county where they wish to receive the vaccine. You will be asked to fill in some basic information, including name, email, phone number and whether you need your first or second dose. You can also choose whether you prefer to be contacted by phone, text or email when an appointment is available.
For those who do not have access to the Internet, you can also pre-register by phone. To find the number assigned to your county, visit https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/FL-VACCINE-HOTLINES_updated-0124.pdf.
“Vaccine supply remains limited and consultations may not be available for several weeks in some counties,” Florida’s Emergency Management Division said in a press release.
The website also shows a list of state-supported sites by county.
If your county does not have any state-run websites listed, you can still sign up for the waiting list to be notified when a website becomes available. Remember that the site is an optional system open to all 67 counties. This means that your county must register with the state to be included in the system.
Hillsborough County, which has a state-supported vaccination site at the University Mall in Tampa, will use the state’s new online pre-registration portal, according to a county health department spokesman. The county said that people who registered with PatientPortal before January 16 or through the current county system should not need to register again.
There are no state-supported vaccination sites in Pinellas, Pasco or Hernando. The Pinellas health department emphasized that people who apply only through the state’s My Vaccine system will not be able to get an appointment in Pinellas because the system is not yet in use in the municipality. Pasco’s health department also said it would continue its current application process instead of using the state registration system.
Although there is a state residency requirement, there is no county requirement. This means that someone who lives in Pinellas or Hillsborough can pre-register to receive the vaccine in Polk or vice versa.
The Lee County government and its health department tweeted about the online registration system on Thursday and described it as a smooth launch. Florida did not officially announce the new site until just before 11 am on Friday.
Times staff writer Allison Ross and Bradenton Herald staff writer Jessica Leon contributed to this report.
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