COVID-19 Vaccination Sites Busy But No Long Waits As Eligibility Age Opens To 50 Plus
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Florida residents 50 and older are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination in the state.
The main FEMA-funded site is at Miami Dade College North Campus was busy but there were no long waits Monday.. This site is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Adrianna Garrido said she couldn't be happier to be 50. With the drop in age eligibility she was able to get her first shot at the Miami Dade College site. She said it meant a lot to her.
"I think coming to normality," she said.
Miguel Velasquez and his wife Annaliese wasted no time getting to the Miami Dade College site
"I saw on the news over the weekend that the governor brought down the applicable age to 50 and over. We're both over 50 so I decided to give it a shot," said Miguel Velasquez.
They were in and out quickly.
"It was really well organized, I'm amazed. It took 15 minutes to get in and out," he said.
There are two smaller satellite sites, Charles Hadley Park, at 1350 NW 50th Street in Miami, and at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211 Street in Cutler Bay.
The sites are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through March 23rd.
Vaccinations are given to people 50 and older, K-12 teachers and school employees, firefighters and police officers 50 years and older, and people with medical conditions who bring a doctor's note or signed form from the Florida Department of Health.
Originally, it was announced that Monday and Tuesday would be the last days they would be administering first doses, after that, it was second doses only.
But that changed early Monday afternoon when the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced that the site will be able to administer 500 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine per day for the next couple of weeks along with second doses. The same will go for the FEMA-funded sites in Jacksonville, Tampa, and Orlando.
"In order to ensure all individuals who visited the site were able to receive second doses prior to the sites ceasing operations, the federally-supported sites were planning to only offer second dose shots March 24 – April 14. After evaluating the current vaccine supply, the state determined that previously unused first doses from federal sites could be redistributed to continue administering first dose shots for March 24 – April 7," according to a statement from the department.
These sites will only offer the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine from April 7 through April 14.
The satellite sites will continue only administering second dose shots between March 24 through April 14. All satellite sites will return to their original locations over the next three weeks so all individuals who received their first dose at these sites can receive their second doses.
From April 14 – 28, the state is planning to offer the one dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
In Miami-Dade, beginning Monday, March 29th, the eligible age for a vaccine will drop to 40 years old at all county-run sites at Tropical Park and Zoo Miami.
In Broward, Mayor Steve Geller said all vaccine is under state control — and the county will follow guidelines set by the Governor.
"I anticipate that within the next two months or so that every adult regardless of age who wants a shot will have the first shot in their arms by giving or take mid-May," Geller said last week.
The governor has said he thinks, depending on how it goes this week, they will be able to open it up to everybody before May 1st - and maybe even before that.