Tampa Bay residents over 65 years of age will be able to finally get a COVID-19 vaccination this week.
This morning, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties announced that starting today local seniors can make an appointment to receive the first of two vaccinations.
Pinellas County residents 65 and older can make a reservation beginning at noon on Monday, Jan 4. via pinellas.floridahealth.gov, or by calling (727) 824-6900. Residents are required to bring a form of identification with their birth date indicating that they are age 65 or older, and agree to receive their second dose of the vaccine in 21 days.
The vaccines will be administered at the following locations beginning Tuesday, Jan. 5:
- Clearwater Health Center 310 N Myrtle Ave. in Clearwater
- Mid-County Health Center 8175 Ulmerton Rd. in Largo
- St. Petersburg Health Center 205 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N in St. Petersburg
Hillsborough County will begin distributing about 1,500 doses of the vaccine over the next few days, and reservations are mandatory, and there is no waiting list. Appointments can be made online at HCCOVID19Shot.as.me, or by calling (888) 755-2822 between 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.
Hillsborough County is now expecting new supplies of vaccines from the state on a weekly basis.
Over the next few days, the vaccine doses will be distributed at four vaccine distribution sites:
Wednesday, Jan. 6
- Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds 2700 W Risk St., Plant City, FL 33563
- Ed Radice Sports Complex 14720 Ed Radice Dr., Tampa, FL 33626
Thursday, Jan. 7
- University Mall (parking lot) 2200 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33612
- Vance Vogel Sports Complex, 13012 Bullfrog Creek Road, Gibsonton, FL 33534
Friday, Jan. 8
- University Mall (parking lot)
- Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds
- Ed Radice Sports Complex
Saturday, Jan. 9
- University Mall (parking lot)
- Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds
After this morning’s announcements, the Hillsborough website briefly crashed, but as of now it appears to be back online. Pinellas County also reported issues with its phone service.
Florida is currently in Phase I of the vaccine distribution plan, which means the priority is still on long-term care facilities, front line healthcare workers and residents 65 years and over.
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This article appears in Dec 31, 2020 – Jan 6, 2021.