DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After a busy few days of vaccine distribution in Volusia County, provincial leaders are changing how they will deal with vaccinations in the future.
That includes a new location and a new online system.
What you need to know
- Vaccination site reached capacity around 6am for the 2nd day in a row
- Seniors said they just wanted to be able to cuddle their grandchildren again
- Volusia has moved the distribution of vaccines to Deltona from Thursday
- County also started making appointments online, all of which are booked
- RELATED: Getting a Vaccine in Central Florida: What You Need to Know
On Thursdays and Fridays, 1,000 seniors will receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine daily by appointment only. The appointments went live on Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. and were all claimed at 3.11 p.m.
This change is a welcome change for seniors who have not been vaccinated at Daytona Stadium on Mondays and Tuesdays.
At 6 a.m. Tuesday, the vaccination line at Daytona Stadium – serving 1,000 people a day on a first-come, first-served basis – had closed its line. Some motorists have been camping in their cars since 19:00 on Monday.
The vaccinations would not start until 9:00 am
Seniors I spoke to have been queuing up since 2:30 p.m. Monday to get vaccinated THIS morning at Daytona Stadium. They slept in their car at night with plenty of food / water and said it was worth it!
“I hope I can take the next photo soon so I can see the rest of my family.”@ MyNews13 https://t.co/Nb4y1iaLFO pic.twitter.com/DHLhxZjjdU
– JSotoNews13 (@ JSotoNews13) January 5, 2021
On Monday, hundreds of people were turned away after dozens of cars lined up on LPGA Boulevard. The city decided to open the gates earlier on Tuesday for security reasons.
According to Daytona Beach Police, officials originally did not allow anyone to park at night, but were quickly overwhelmed by the number of people who showed up.
The Baileys got in line at 2:30 pm on Monday, bringing food and drink so they could sleep in their car overnight. But when the site hit capacity and the line closed, they were still on the line 6 miles away.
‘I would like to see my grandchildren, spend time with them. I hope I can take the next photo soon so I can see the rest of my family, ”said Edward Bailey.
The Haldermans are hibernators from Missouri who also slept in their cars.
‘It was really fun, because Missouri is a bit behind. They still do nursing homes and things like that, ”said Kathy Halderman.
On Monday, Roger Phillips said he was turned down after being told he couldn’t camp on Sunday night. Then he was faced with a decision after the line for Tuesday’s vaccinations began to form at noon.
Phillips tried again on Tuesday morning.
“I’m not going to move. … If they threaten me with a ticket, give me the ticket, I’ll pay for the ticket. But I think it’s worth more to me and my wife to be able to see and love our grandchildren than to be rejected like we were this morning, ”he told Spectrum News at the time.
After attempting to get vaccinated at Daytona Stadium, Roger Phillips is glad he now has an appointment to get vaccinated at Deltona! Volusia makes the switch from first-come, first-served to appointments. Today 2,000 appointments booked for the end of the week @ MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/vvkimF8pa5
– Nicole Griffin (@ NicoleNews13) January 5, 2021
Phillips was able to secure appointments for himself and his wife on Tuesday afternoon. He said he was having a hard time booking online but was able to make an appointment over the phone.
“I just think they need a better program, they need a better plan, a more effective plan to get this vaccine out,” Phillips said.
For those who have not been vaccinated, more vaccines will arrive in Volusia County.
According to DeLand city leaders, they have approved several sites to be used as vaccine distribution points. They claimed they could have a vaccination event next week.