See how to register for the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida

In the last days of 2020, people in Florida aged 65 and over started getting their first injections of the coronavirus vaccine, but where and when those doses will be available varies from county to county.

As of December 28, Florida was vaccinating only three priority groups: Health care workers, long-term care workers and residents and people aged 65 and over. The health care group includes paramedics and paramedics, as well as Department of Health staff.

Residents who are among these groups should check the websites of their local health departments for information about consultations and where vaccines are taking place.

As the state receives more doses, more individuals will be qualified among the first priority vaccine groups. Next will be frontline workers, such as supermarket workers, teachers and police, according to Governor Ron DeSantis.

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Seminole County became the first location in Central Florida to begin administering injections to people 65 and older, but appointments for the first day quickly filled up.

Floridians are asked to be patient while county health departments implement vaccination plans for millions of residents who meet age qualifications. The state is home to more than 4 million people aged 65 and over.

The vaccine is not expected to be available to the general population, including younger residents or workers outside the frontline, by the end of spring.

On December 28, the following counties in Central Florida shared information to help people sign up for appointments and get more information about the vaccine’s availability. This story will be updated as more counties release details of the vaccination plan.

Brevard County

Brevard County is currently vaccinating frontline health professionals and residents and employees of long-term care facilities. As more doses become available, groups – including people over 65 – will be added and information on how to receive them will be provided, according to the county’s vaccines website.

Flagler County

The Florida Department of Health in Flagler County received its first round of the COVID-19 vaccine on December 28 and is working with Flagler County Emergency Management to finalize the distribution.

Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said the doses in this initial shipment were reserved specifically for healthcare professionals in our community. It is anticipated that other priority groups, particularly those over 65, will be able to start receiving vaccines in the coming weeks, as additional doses are administered.

Healthcare professionals who do not work directly for a hospital, nursing home or long-term care facility can receive vaccination on Saturday, January 2 at a 10 am to 1 pm day event at the Flagler County Fairgrounds in Bunnell.

Flagler County residents aged 65 and over will be able to schedule vaccinations from early January. Once the county is ready to start making reservations for these residents, it will share a phone number. The timing will depend on when the health department will receive the next dose of vaccine, but possibly as early as January 4.

Seminole County

The Seminole County Health Department began administering vaccines to people aged 65 and over on December 28, by appointment only at the Oviedo Mall.

People can schedule a meeting at prepareseminole.org or by calling the citizens’ hotline 407-665-0000. People who qualify for the vaccine can also go directly to Eventbrite to make an appointment.

Residents can also text COVID19INFO to 888-777 to receive notifications when the vaccine is available to more groups.

Orange county

The Orange County Health Department began administering EMTS and paramedics injections at the Orange County Convention Center on December 26.

From December 29, people aged 65 and over can start receiving their vaccines in Orange County, at the Convention Center, between 8 am and 9 pm. Commitments will be needed.

Residents can register at OCFL.net/vaccines, where they can also sign up for email updates to learn more about vaccine distribution. Here is the direct link to register.

The county will also provide text updates if people send OCFLCOVID a message to 888777.

For those without smartphones or computers, community centers also offer vaccine registration. Community centers in East Orange, Taft, Holden Heights and Center Hills will have staff available to help people aged 65 and over sign up for vaccination appointments. In the city of Orlando, Beardall Senior Center on Delaney Avenue and L. Claudia Allen Senior Center on Mable Butler Avenue will be available to assist with the registration of residents.

This link contains step-by-step registration instructions.

Osceola County

The Florida Department of Health in Osceola County received its first allocation of the Modern vaccine on December 28.

People aged 65 and over and health professionals interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccination can call 407-343-2000 to register. Once connected, the caller must follow the prompts to receive more information about COVID-19 and stay on the line for the next available agent. People who register will have the option to receive updates on vaccine availability by email. Health department staff will call to schedule appointments based on vaccine availability.

Osceola is coordinating with Osceola County Emergency Management and community partners to offer mass and community-based vaccination clinics as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more readily available. Residents should continue to check osceola.floridahealth.gov for updates.

The department’s COVID-19 call center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by calling 1-866-779-6121 or by emailing [email protected].

Marion County

The Marion County Department of Health is scheduled to receive its first shipment of the COVID-19 Modern vaccine for residents 65 and older during the last week of December.

To request a vaccination appointment, visit this link https://tinyurl.com/y98cxp6s and fill out the form. For those who do not have access to a computer or smartphone, call the Marion County COVID-19 hotline at 352-644-2590, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, and the team will send the form online to you .

Once qualified residents submit their information on the DOH-Marion website, they will be placed in line to receive a callback from the team to make an appointment. The team will call to schedule a vaccination appointment as soon as the vaccine is available.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is a series of two injections, with the second injection being administered 28 days after the first.

Lake County

Lake County is expected to receive its initial vaccine shipment in the week of December 28. There is currently no registration to register. Once vaccines are available, the county DOH will provide more details on the distribution process.

To sign up for the latest COVID-19 related emergency notifications, send COVIDUPDATE to 888777 or visit www.lakecountyfl.gov/COVID-19.

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