Here’s how to register for the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida

In the last days of 2020, people in Florida ages 65 and older began to receive their first shots of the coronavirus vaccine, but where and when those doses become available will vary from county to county.

As of Dec. 28, Florida has only vaccinated three priority groups: health workers, long-term care personnel, and residents, and people 65 or older. The care group includes EMTs and paramedics, as well as Department of Health personnel.

Residents who belong to these groups should check the websites of their local health department for information on appointments and where vaccinations are taking place.

As the state receives more doses, more individuals will be eligible for the first priority groups for vaccines. According to Governor Ron DeSantis, the first will be such as supermarket employees, teachers and police.

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Seminole County became the first Central Florida site to begin administering shots to people 65 and older, but appointments for the first day quickly filled.

Floridians are being asked to be patient as the county’s health departments roll out vaccination plans for millions of residents who meet the age ratings. The state is home to more than 4 million people aged 65 and over.

The vaccine is not expected to be available to the general population until late spring, including younger residents or non-primary care workers.

As of December 28, the following Central Florida counties have been sharing information to help people sign up for appointments and get more information about vaccine availability. This story will be updated as more countries release the details of the vaccination plan.

Brevard County

Brevard County is currently vaccinating primary health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. As more doses become available, groups – including people over the age of 65 – will be added and information will be provided on how to get it, according to the province’s vaccine website.

Flagler County

The Florida Department of Health in Flagler County received its first round of COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 28 and is working with Flagler County Emergency Management to finalize distribution.

Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said the doses in this first shipment are specifically for health care providers in our community. It is expected that other priority groups, especially those over the age of 65, will be able to receive vaccinations in the coming weeks, as additional doses are administered.

Healthcare professionals who do not work directly for a hospital, nursing home or long-term care facility can receive the vaccination on Saturday, January 2, at a one-day event from 10am to 1pm at the Flagler County Fairgrounds in Bunnell.

Flagler County residents aged 65 and older can make arrangements to be vaccinated starting in early January. Once the county is ready to make reservations for those residents, it will share a phone number. The timing depends on when the health department receives the next amount of vaccine, but possibly as early as January 4.

Seminole County

The Seminole County Health Department began giving injections to people 65 and older by appointment only at the Oviedo Mall on Dec. 28.

People can book an appointment by going to prepareseminole.org or by calling the Citizen Hotline at 407-665-0000. People who qualify for the vaccine can also go directly to Eventbrite to make an appointment.

Residents can also text COVID19INFO to 888-777 to receive notifications when the vaccine becomes available to more groups.

Orange Country

The Orange County Department of Health began firing EMTS and paramedics at the Orange County Convention Center on Dec. 26.

Beginning December 29, people 65 and older can start getting their vaccines in Orange County at the Convention Center between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Appointments are required.

Residents can register at OCFL.net/vaccines, where they can also sign up for email updates to learn more about vaccine distribution. Here is the direct link to register.

The province will also provide updates via SMS when people text OCFLCOVID to 888777.

For people without smartphones or computers, community centers will also offer registration for the vaccine. The community centers of East Orange, Taft, Holden Heights, and Center Hills will have staff available to assist people 65 and older register for vaccine appointments. In the city of Orlando, the Beardall Senior Center on Delaney Avenue and L. Claudia Allen Senior Center on Mable Butler Avenue will be available to help residents register.

This link contains step-by-step registration instructions.

Osceola County

The Florida Department of Health in Osceola County received the first assignment of the Moderna vaccine on Dec. 28.

Those aged 65 and over and healthcare personnel interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccination can call 407-343-2000 to register. Once connected, callers should follow the prompts to receive more information about COVID-19 and stay on the line for the next available agent. People who register have the option to receive updates on vaccine availability via email. Health department staff will call to schedule appointments based on vaccine availability.

Osceola is working with Osceola County Emergency Management and community partners to provide community-based and mass vaccination clinics as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more readily available. Residents should continue to check osceola.floridahealth.gov for updates.

The department’s COVID-19 call center is available 24/7 at 1-866-779-6121 or via email at [email protected].

Marion County

The Marion County Department of Health will receive the first shipment of COVID-19 Moderna vaccine for residents 65 and older in the last week of December.

To request a vaccination appointment, go to this link https://tinyurl.com/y98cxp6s and fill in the form. For those who don’t have access to a computer or smartphone, call the Marion County COVID-19 hotline at 352-644-2590 Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and the staff will submit the form online for you.

Once eligible residents submit their information on DOH-Marion’s website, they will be queued for a callback by staff to schedule an appointment. Staff will call to schedule a vaccination as soon as the vaccine becomes available.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is a 2-shot series, with the second injection given 28 days after the first injection.

Lake County

Lake County is expected to receive its first shipment of vaccines the week of Dec. 28. There is currently no registry to sign up. Once vaccines become available, the local DOH will provide more details on the distribution process.

To sign up for the latest COVID-19 emergency alerts, text COVIDUPDATE to 888777 or visit www.lakecountyfl.gov/COVID-19.

To keep up to date with the latest news about the pandemic, subscribe to News 6’s coronavirus newsletter and go to Click Orlando.com/coronavirus.