ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – As the strategy from mass vaccination at the convention center phases into reaching neighborhoods, Orange County leaders and the Department of Health opened new vaccine sites in all corners of the county.
The county is now offering up to 1,000 vaccines at West Orange Recreational Center, Meadow Woods Recreational Center, Econ Park Recreational Center, Goldenrod Recreational Center and Barnett Park. Wednesday, the county also offered 100 shots at a two-hour pop-up event at Lake Eola Park.
But of the 5,100 shots available across those six sites Wednesday, only 536 doses went into arms - which is about 10%, meaning 90% of available doses in the county were unused.
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“All across the nation there is a slowdown of people getting vaccinated,” Mayor Demings said in response to the low numbers Thursday. “The remainder is going to be a challenge for us, and we as a community are going to have to encourage our friends and family to get vaccinated.”
As of Thursday, leaders said 46% of Orange County residents 16 or older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
The Mayor said the strategy now is moving into neighborhoods to make it convenient. The sites now open daily are all walk-up or drive-through sites.
The county is now offering to bring its mobile vaccine sites to businesses, bringing vaccines right to where you work.
“The good news is, while our numbers have declined people are still getting vaccinated,” Demings said. “I don’t want to sugar coat this, this is going to be a challenge to get up to that 70% threshold, we will not get there without everyone’s help.”