ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An aggressive effort has been made to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to young people.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management reported 40 Doses of the vaccine were administered in downtown Orlando on Friday night.
Shots were administered at The Beacham on Orange Avenue.
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Nearly 44 percent of people in Orange County have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine.
To get this number up, health officials are trying to get more young people the vaccine.
“We think everybody needs to get a shot, you know we need to get everyone vaccinated so we can get back to whatever normal is going to be moving forward, we’re just trying to do our part, we’re targeting the younger demographic,” Beacham co-owner Jan SanFelippo said.
The nightclub crowd is exactly who medical experts say they want to convince to get the vaccine.
In Orange County, it’s mostly people in their 20s and 30s testing positive for COVID-19.
Orange County health officer Dr. Raul Pino said people in their 20s and 30s could keep the virus circulating.
Pino said this could lead to more dangerous variants.
“Every time that it jumps from one person to another person is an opportunity for genetic change. One of those genetic changes could make it resistant to the vaccines,” Pino said.
Despite the effort, only a small handful of people took advantage.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine was administered to patients at the Beacham on Friday.
Jose Cesar got his shot on Friday and urged other people to get the vaccine.
“Do your part to contribute to society because it’s not just about you, it’s about the people you have at home that couldn’t get vaccinated, so you get the vaccine, you make everybody safer,” Cesar said.
The Beacham will continue reaching out to the younger crowd, making the vaccine available every Monday night.
The Pfizer vaccine will be administered at The Beacham on Monday.