ORLANDO, Fla. – There’s nothing special about this article, it’s just a timeline outlining the process of getting my COVID-19 vaccine. In writing this, the goal is to take the reader step-by-step through the process, from setting up the appointment to navigating where to go for the injection.
First, though, a bit of background.
Like most of the people in the News 6 WKMG-TV newsroom, I’ve been working from home since March of last year. I was able to sign up for my shot only after Gov. DeSantis opened up vaccine availability about two weeks ago to Floridians deemed “extremely vulnerable.” Without going into too many specifics, although I’m under 65, I have an underlying condition specifically outlined by the state.
For me, getting a vaccination was not a simple as showing up to a site and getting a poke in the arm (And for some of you, it won’t be that easy either). To meet the requirements for vaccination, I had to get a form filled out and signed by my doctor confirming my underlying condition. You can download that same form here.
First up: A call the doctor’s office. I was hoping that since this was just a form, the doctor could fill one out and I could just pick it up.
Nope.
Since I hadn’t had a check-up in over a year (because, you know, coronavirus), I had to physically go to the office so my general practitioner could see me and give me the once-over before signing off on the shot. This sounds like a huge pain in the butt, and rightly so, as many people have criticized the state for this setup as it unfairly targets some residents. Nevertheless, the nurse at my doctor’s office explained I had to come in as it was really an important step since this man was signing off on me getting a shot and he wanted to do his due diligence to make sure there would be no problems and no surprises for me or anyone administering the doses.
By the way, that visit which, start to finish took longer than the process of getting my shot, cost me $68.
Now, because I surmised this would be an easy process, I hedged my bet on speeding up the timetable by booking an appointment for my visit to the Orange County Convention Center right after scheduling the appointment with my doctor. (I saw him on March 16 and scheduled a vaccine for the morning of the next day).
Scheduling a vaccine at OCCC, one of a number of sites in Central Florida offering COVID-19 vaccines is a straightforward process (follow this link). Here are the four steps:
- Create an account
- Select get tested or get vaccinated
- Register for your visit
- Make sure to take a picture, a screen grab, or print your QR Code once you’ve registered so you can present it at the vaccination site
If you have any questions or need help registering, call 844-770-8548 and they’ll assist you. And even though you may not be eligible for a vaccine now, creating an account early saves time for when your eligibility does come up.
Boom, that’s the setup.
So, how easy was it to get vaccinated? Well, with a little help from my dashcam, I’ll take you through the process.
9:15 a.m.
I arrived at the Convention Center about 15 minutes late because my navigation app decided to take me to… I have no idea where (but when my phone said I’d arrived and I was nowhere near where I needed to be).
Thanks, Waze.
The lesson here is don’t trust the first result that comes up when you type in Orange County Convention Center. Put in this address: 9400 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819. Specifically, you’re heading to the North Concourse on the Convention Center grounds (underneath it, actually, but we’ll get to that).
The picture above was one of the first things I want to call your attention to (no, not the Budweiser truck).
At 9:15 a.m., as I was heading west on Universal Boulevard (my wife was with me), I could see the Convention Center on the left, but I couldn’t make a left turn. This is by design as the county probably didn’t want people stuck in oncoming traffic trying to make a left into OCCC. Simple remedy: enter from eastbound Universal Boulevard or just make a U-turn at the next intersection (Convention Way). Don’t enter OCCC through Convention Way (you’ll never get to where you need to be).
9:19 a.m.
Guess who tried to turn into OCCC using Convention Way?
Four minutes later, lesson learned.
Finally, heading eastbound on Universal, I noticed a large orange construction sign that said something like, VACCINES NEXT RIGHT. I say something “like” because at this time of the morning, the sun was directly above the sign and I could barely see it. My wife spotted it clearly from the passenger seat, prodding me to make the right turn (thanks, wife!).
Here’s where you’ll make your turn at the North Concourse sign.
9:19am
Within half-a-minute of entering the OCCC property, we saw this sign and it’s worth noting.
After the earlier debacle in December and January in which a lot of people came to Florida to be vaccinated, DeSantis amended the rules for who was eligible for a vaccination by clearly stating you had to be either a full time or part time resident to get a shot from Florida.
9:21 a.m.
Less than two minutes later, we ran into our first checkpoint.
See that pad the woman is holding up? She was signaling that not only did I need to show my Florida ID, but I also had to have my QR code ready to be examined. No QR code meant no appointment and, therefore, no admittance. I had my code, showed my ID and proceeded further into the grounds.
9:25 a.m.
After winding through the Convention Center roads for a few minutes (you literally go back and forth and if you get there when it’s crowded, this will probably be where you’ll spend the most time sitting in traffic), we entered the area where my vaccine would be administered.
If you didn’t know, Orange County has set up this site underneath the Convention Center to provide a safe, protective area for workers and patients. The vaccine area is a loading dock but has been converted into a series of stations where vehicles pull in and residents receive their vaccination. No need to leave the car and stand in any lines (one of the reasons I picked OCCC over other sites).
9:29 a.m.
After a few minutes waiting in line, I was waived through to a second checkpoint.
If you look closely, all three people in this picture have bands across their chests. Those bands are connected to mobile scanners that do two things. First, the scanners scan your QR code to make sure you’re at OCCC for the right date and time for your appointment. Next, the scanners print out a small sticker that literally gets stuck to your sleeve (or bare arm) for the next and final checkpoint. These aren’t military folks, but there is a very nice military-like precision so far with this process.
9:31 a.m.
I’m directed into a spot to get my vaccination (you can’t see the sign, but it was parking spot (lucky) number 13).
Here, the people (yes, plural) administering my shot went through a couple of procedures. First, I could turn off my car, so everyone didn’t have to breathe in fumes. Next, a person collected my sticker AND collected my doctor’s note. This is important to note because she asked me if I wanted to take a picture of it because she was keeping it for the vaccination site’s files (this I didn’t know).
Once my identity was confirmed (yep, had to show my license again), a second person came over to give me my shot.
The person administering the shot told me to think of the ocean and before I could even ask, “Huh?” the needle was already in my arm. As far as shots go, this one was almost painless, and aside from a little soreness that night and the following morning, the vaccine really didn’t bother me.
For those wondering, I got a dose of Pfizer.
Total time between entering OCCC and pulling away from the vaccination station: 20 minutes, 8 seconds.
9:38 a.m.
But wait, there’s more.
Once you’re vaccinated, it’s not as simple as jumping on I-4 or SR-408 and heading home. The state wants to make sure people who get their shot have no adverse reactions.
And no, you don’t get to pick your own lane.
Lane 1 leads you to a 15-minute parking area to make sure everything is OK before you head home. Lane 2 is the 30-minute parking area for those with underlying conditions because the state really wants to make sure everything is OK.
9:39 a.m.
Within about 30 seconds, I’m directed into a staggered parking space (yes, they socially distance in the parking lot as well) and it happens to be right in front of the First Aid station.
Lucky me had 30 minutes to kill that coincided with our morning newsroom conference call.
10:09 a.m.
After my half-an-hour wait (everything was OK), it was time to head home.
This last picture shows us exiting the vaccination area and a very nice gentlemen on the right handing us a couple of packages of disposable masks.
Even though I got a shot, there’s still a bit of a ways to go.
First, it’s one shot. Pfizer and Moderna require two doses, so I’ll be doing this all over again next month (Pfizer’s doses are spaced apart three weeks; the Moderna vaccine has a four-week separation between doses). By the way, the state automatically registers you for your follow-up shot (three or four weeks later) at the same facility and at the same time. (They also require you to bring your vaccine card for your appointment.) Next, although I have the shot, my wife and countless others I encounter, still haven’t gotten one yet.
As of Thursday, March 18, almost 21% of the number of people who call Florida home have received either one shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or both shots of either Moderna or Pfizer.
The graphic below shows the progression of vaccines administered across the state and updates everyday around 4 p.m.
It’s important to note that the 21% I mentioned represents about 4.57 million people but of that, only 2.42 million are fully vaccinated. Furthermore, you must remember that as previously mentioned, in December and January there were countless amounts of non-residents who came in from different states and different countries to get vaccinated in Florida.
Florida has a population of about 21,922,055. There are still over 17 million who haven’t gotten any kind of shot as of yet. Opening up eligibility in Orange County to those 40 and up on March 22 will help, but Florida, wear your masks. We still have a long way to go.