For many Orange County residents and leaders, more vaccines is good news.
“We should see increased distribution within the next few weeks,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.
With more vaccines on the way, Demings said more seniors 65 and older can begin signing up first thing Monday morning to soon get their COVID 19-shot at the Orange County Convention Center.
He said it’s all thanks to the state department of health in Orange County, which has more information on its site.
Florida Department of Health spokesman Kent Donahue said starting on Monday, the Orange County Convention Center will be working to administer about 2,500 vaccines per day.
Donahue said the appointments for this round of vaccines should last until about early March.
People who make an appointment on Monday might be able to actually get the vaccine as early as Monday. It depends on availability and how fast the appointments fill up.
“In order to qualify for the shot, you must prove that you are either a full-time or part-time resident of Florida,” Demings said. “We also want to share with you that we just learned that there are 42 public sites in Orange County that will be administering shots very soon.”
Beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, seniors can head online to ocfl.net/vaccine to register for an appointment.
It’s first come first serve and with limited availability.
“The government is also looking at distributing the vaccine directly to local family health centers soon,” Demings said.
And that’s a big deal when it comes to access and making sure everyone who wants the shot can get it.
This also happening as Publix stores are expanding its vaccines at select stores in Orange County and across Central Florida.
It’s once again opening its online portal for more appointments on Monday too.
For seniors who want a vaccine dose, please make an appointment.
An appointment is required to get a vaccine at these sites.
As far as the Orange County Convention Center drive-up site, seniors who can’t drive themselves can dial 3-1-1 to see if they qualify for a free Lynx bus ride.