MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – People who have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at the state-run Hard Rock Stadium site come away with paperwork telling them when they need to come back for their second shot — but many are confused, wondering if the paper serves as their appointment or if they need to go through the ordeal of trying to set up another one.
The state said that anyone who gets a vaccine at Hard Rock Stadium “will receive a call or email directly from the state approximately two weeks after they receive their first allocation to schedule a time to receive their booster shot.”
At a press conference on Jan. 31, officials had information for those who have missed the call or have not received one. They said they should count 21 days from their first dose and come back to the Hard Rock Stadium site for the booster after that time.
Only those people who received their first dose at the Hard Rock site will be able to get their second shot there.
Those showing up need the CDC card that they were given on site, a white card that says which vaccine was administered, along with identification, in order to get the second dose. But you must wait exactly 21 days before showing up.
If you’ve received a call, and have an appointment scheduled, officials ask that you come to the site on the date and time specified.
Similarly, Miami-Dade County has said that it too will reach out to those who have gotten the vaccine through their distribution sites to set up second appointments.
That means you won’t need to get lucky and score that second appointment through an online system as you did for the initial shot.
The Department of Health in Broward County has switched to a phone system to sign up for COVID-19 vaccine appointments (the number is 866-201-6313), and people are asked to use that same process for their second shot appointments.
However, people who got their first dose at a DOH-Broward site without making an appointment through the new phone system don’t need to make an appointment for their second dose, officials say.
“They should return to the same site on the date written on their vaccination card at the same time as they arrived for their first dose,” the health department said. “Other than these individuals receiving their second dose, no one will be served without an appointment.”
Those DOH-Broward sites are Tradewinds Park, Tree Tops Park, Markham Park, Central Broward Regional Park and Coral Square Mall.
One exception to that is people who got their first vaccine at Holiday Park before Jan. 22. If that’s you, you should go to Snyder Park (3299 SW 4th Ave., Fort Lauderdale) to receive the second dose on the date written on your appointment card at the time you arrived for their first dose, the health department says. You don’t need to make a new appointment.
Also, if you got your first shot at Vista View Park, as of Feb. 17 you will now get your second shot at Tree Tops Park (3900 SW 100th Ave. in Davie). Vista View Park is no longer doing vaccinations.
Health officials remind people returning for second doses that they must bring their vaccination card with them.
If you were vaccinated by a hospital or senior community, it is best to check with whoever runs that operation for information about your second shot.
While vaccine supply has been an issue, local leaders have repeatedly stressed that those second “booster” shots will be available for people who have received the first.
Data from the state indicates that more than 1 million people in Florida have been vaccinated, with over 100,000 getting both doses already.
Another state-run vaccination location opens Wednesday at Marlins Park. Appointments are necessary and just like at Hard Rock Stadium, you can call 1-888-499-0840 to try to get one. (A hearing-impaired number is available at 1-888-256-8918.)
In other vaccine news, Baptist Health announced Tuesday that “due to COVID-19 vaccine supply constraints, we must suspend all first-dose vaccinations for the community. Any appointments booked for January 20 and all later dates are now canceled, and we are not taking any new appointments.”
Baptist’s second-dose appointments will not be affected, the hospital system said.
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