The new Florida website allows people to virtually ‘queue up’ for COVID-19 vaccines

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida launched a new state website Friday to streamline the state’s approach to the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, following the slow rollout of a state nomination hotline earlier this month.

The website, myvaccine.fl.gov, allows full and part-time Florida residents to enroll in the coveted vaccination shots in all 67 counties and place them in a virtual queue until more doses are available in their area.

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“Register now for the COVID-19 vaccine,” the website reads. “We urge currently eligible Florida residents to take their place by pre-registering today.”

Currently, the state is vaccinating people aged 65 and older, staff and residents of long-term care facilities, health professionals with direct patient contact, and those highly vulnerable to the virus.

“This website allows for proactive contact with individuals who qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine when vaccination appointments are available at state-sponsored vaccination sites,” said the Florida Department of Health press release.

The supply of vaccines remains limited, and in some countries appointments may not be available for several weeks, the DOH warns.

Users will select their country and click “queue up” before entering personal information to register. Once the appointments are available, they will be contacted by phone, text, or email to schedule an appointment, according to the DOH.

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On Friday, the DOH said that as part of the statewide registration system, each of Florida’s 67 counties has a specific phone number to call and pre-register. The full list of songs is available here.

Broward, Duval, Hillsborough and Lee counties began using a Florida Department of Health hotline to make vaccine appointments after a promise earlier this month from Florida’s director of Emergency Management that a statewide appointment system would be established.

However, the hotline and state website may not be the best way to sign up for the local health admissions department.

Volusia County, for example, is still in preparation with the state about the system, but has not yet started using the platform. Volusia County Emergency Management officials are encouraging people to continue to register through the district portal.

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“Currently, individuals registering for an appointment through MyVaccine (myvaccine.fl.gov) are placed in a queue that is not managed by the County of Volusia and will not be contacted for an appointment,” Volusia County Emergency Management said. an update Friday. “Individuals who wish to receive a vaccine through the County of Volusia should continue to register through Eventbrite or by calling the Citizens Information Center as soon as additional vaccination events are announced.”

It is unclear how this new system, operated by Sharecare software, will deal with counties that do not use the state registration number. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said on Jan. 22 that the county will continue to use CDR Health to sign up for appointments and does not intend to use the state system for the Orange County Convention Center’s vaccination site.

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Samantha Bequer, press secretary in Florida’s Emergency Management Department, said it is an individual choice whether or not someone signs up with the statewide pre-registration system.

“If a county has a system and decides to use the statewide system, the state will work with them to merge existing waiting lists,” Bequer said in an email. “In counties where they have signed up for the system, eligible individuals will be contacted to schedule an appointment when they are available in the area through the state system.

She said Florida is working with counties to ensure existing registration systems can coordinate with the MyVaccine website.