'The Demand Is Phenomenal', Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava Fighting To Get More COVID-19 Vaccine
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said she will fight to get more doses of COVID-19 vaccines because of the overwhelming demand.
The mayor said approximately 80,000 people in the county including front-line medical professionals and those older than 65 have been vaccinated.
At the Tropical Park vaccination site, it was another busy day. Hundreds of people 65 and older lined to receive a long-awaited shot in the arm - the first dose of the Moderna vaccine.
"It was completely problem-free. It was less impactful to me than getting a flu shot or shingles shot. It was less than that. It was no pain at all," said Lane Middleton.
Related: What You Need To Know About Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine In South Florida
Levine Cava toured the site Wednesday morning and acknowledged more needs to be done.
"We need more. We need more vaccines. The demand is phenomenal. People are receiving this and they need to get on with their lives," she said.
The Mayor said the shot means a mental as well as a physical boost for those who receive it.
"That's what's important. They're depressed, they're isolated, they're lonely. This feels like a renewal of their lives. We have so many tears of gratitude, people are just excited about lining up to get the vaccine," she said.
Those who receive the first dose of the Moderna vaccine will have to return in 28 days for a second and final shot. The Mayor said they need more vaccines so they can complete the vaccination process.
"We're going to make sure they get a call, that they get an email to schedule the second one getting done," said Levine Cava. "The problem is the number of doses available and the number of second doses we are receiving."
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Levine Cava was especially grateful to those working at Tropical Park and at hospitals in the county who were working to get the vaccine out as quickly as possible.
"We need to give special gratitude to those working here on the front lines, our health care workers who are tireless during this pandemic," she said.
The Mayor said they are continually evaluating ways to improve the county's registration system for appointments to make it more user friendly and they are looking at other ways to vaccinate people at other sites such as churches.
Appointments for Tropical Park vaccinations can be made at miamidade.gov/vaccine.
Appointments for vaccinations at the state-run site at Hard Rock Stadium can be made by calling 1-888-499-0840, the TTY number is 1-888-256-8918.
