How To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine In Florida

FLORIDA — Reserving a coronavirus vaccine appointment in Florida is frustrating for many residents. With 4.5 million adults age 65 and older living in Florida year-round, in addition to snowbirds who increase Florida's population of 21.5 million people during the winter months by an estimated 5 percent, the competition for these life-saving vaccines is fierce.

Making it even more frustrating is the fact that some Florida counties have their own vaccine appointment systems that are separate from the state's system.

Florida has many sites that are providing COVID-19 vaccines, but supplies are limited and appointments may not be available at many of these sites. Currrently, the state is prioritizing:

• Residents 65 and older
• Health care personnel with direct patient contact
• Residents and staff of long term care facilities
• People deemed to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by hospital providers

There are two things older Floridians should keep in mind:

• There is no rule that a senior can't register for vaccinations through both the county and state systems, and then grab whatever appointment they can get first.
• And there no rule prohibiting seniors from getting vaccinated in other counties. If they see that a nearby county isn't quite as busy, by all means register in that county if you have transportation to get there.

About half of Florida's 67 counties are using their own system to register eligible seniors for vaccinations, including Pinellas, Orange, Seminole, Hernando, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Go to your county's coronavirus information website to see which system your county is using.

To help clear up confusion about the vaccine, Patch has created this guide. It provides a rundown of the state's inoculation plans, as well as links to vaccination bookings.

The guide will be updated as new information becomes available.

Where To Register For Vaccination

The majority of counties with their own registrations systems are using the vendor CDR Maguire Health and Medical. CDR Maguire requires that all eligible seniors first set up an account on its patient portal, patientportalfl.com, or call 1-844-770-8548 to create an account at any time.

Once you register, some counties will simply add you to a waiting list and notify you by phone or email when an appointment is available. Be sure to check your spam folder for emails.

Others require you to log in to the patient portal or call CDR Maguire on a specific day and time to get an appointment for a vaccination. In the latter case, this is often an exercise in exacerbation because the chance of beating out thousands of others logging into the same portal at the same time are slim.

You can increase your chances of getting an appointment by setting up an account on both your county system and the state system.

To register for the state system, visit myvaccine.fl.gov. If you don't have internet or access to a computer, you can call the phone number for your county listed here.

The state will put you on the waiting list and notify you by phone or email when an appointment is available near you. Be sure to check your spam folder for emails.

Keep in mind, you may have to travel to another county to be vaccinated. State-run vaccination sites are only available in those counties that have opted to use the state's system.

To date, more than 2.4 million people have preregistered through the state’s vaccine appointment preregistration system. More information about the statewide system is available here.

In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will open four federally run sites in Florida on March 3. All four sites will use the state's system to register eligible seniors for vaccinations.

The federally supported sites will be located at:

• The closed Tampa Derby greyhound racetrack – 755 E. Waters Ave. Tampa.
• Valencia College, West Campus – 1800 S. Kirkman Road, Orlando.
• Gateway Mall – 5200 Norwood Ave., Jacksonville.
• Miami-Dade Community College, North Campus – 11380 NW 27th Ave., Miami.

These sites will operate seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., administering 2,000 vaccines per day. Additionally, each site will have two smaller, mobile satellite sites that will conduct 500 vaccinations per day in underserved areas.

Other Ways To Get A Vaccine

• Publix, Winn-Dixie, Sam's Club and Walmart are offering vaccines at pharmacies throughout the state through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. There are 490 pharmacy locations offering vaccines in 52 counties. Residents can go directly to the pharmacy's coronavirus website to schedule an appointment or visit the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program website.
• Additionally, CVS announced is offering vaccinations at 67 locations in 13 Florida counties through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. Patients must register in advance at CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app. Those without online access can contact CVS customer service at 800-746-7287.
• A number of Florida hospitals and community health care centers are offering vaccinations to existing patients only. A list of hospitals can be found here.
• Both the state and some counties are hosting pop-up clinics at churches in underserved communities, at senior centers and in retirement communities. Participation in the pop-up clinics are by invitation only.
• Both the state and some counties are also setting up mobile vaccination clinics targeting home-bound residents age 65 and older.
• The counties are identifying home-bound seniors through the county's aging services client list and the Florida Emergency Management Division's Special Needs Registry. If you're an eligible home-bound senior, you can register for the Special Needs Registry here.
• Gov. Ron DeSantis is coordinating with the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs to identify veterans of World War II and the Korean War who are unable to travel to receive a vaccine as well. For more information, click here.

Other Vaccination Tips

• There are more than 750 vaccination sites in Florida. To find vaccination sites near you, click on the Florida Department of Health's vaccination locator and then click on your county or city. The website will be updated as more locations are added.
• Vaccinations are free. While vaccination sites may ask for your insurance information, you should never be billed for a vaccination.
• No walk-in vaccinations are available anywhere in the state. You must have an appointment.
• Arrive for your appointment on time but do not arrive early. Those arriving early can cause backups, especially at drive-thru vaccination sites where cars must be shuffled when someone arrives early.
• Although vaccines produced by other pharmaceutical companies are being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration for approval, the only vaccines currently available are those made by Moderna and Pfizer. To review the Moderna vaccine and possible side effects, click here. To review the Pfizer vaccination and possible side effects, click here.
• While you can't get a vaccine while vacationing in Florida, part-time residents can receive vaccines with proof of seasonal residency. To see what documents are required to prove seasonal residency, click here.
• One dose of the vaccine isn't enough to protect a person against the coronavirus. All those vaccinated must receive a booster shot. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the second dose may be administered up to six weeks (42 days) after the first dose and still be effective.
• In some cases, residents can make an appointment for their second vaccine at the time they receive their first dose. In other cases, the state or county will contact the resident to set up an appointment for a second dose.
• If you aren't contacted about an appointment for your second dose, visit your county's vaccination appointment portal to schedule an appointment. Or, if you used the state system, return to myvaccine.fl.gov and provide your contact information. Select the box that says, “Are you seeking your first dose?” and then select, “No, I am seeking my second dose,” from the drop-down menu.