MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Friday marks day three for vaccinations at Miami Dade College’s North Campus, and local elected leaders visited the FEMA-supported and state-run site later in the morning.
“We are now getting this vaccine into more arms,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.
The mayor told reporters that the county has created outreach teams to go door to door in the community, informing those who may not have easy access to the internet or TV about how to get the vaccine.
Cars lined up before sunrise Friday as a new group qualifies to get their shot in Florida.
“I think it’s fantastic that we have expanded access, and everybody who can get the vaccine should get vaccinated so that we can get closer to getting herd immunity,” Grace Koch, who received the vaccine Friday, said.
Appointments are not required at the site, but people may pre-register by visiting MyVaccine.FL.gov.
Those who qualify to be vaccinated must provide the proper documentation -- school ID, law enforcement badge or Department of Health form proving COVID-19 vulnerability.
The location is equipped with enough doses for 3,000 shots each day. The site vaccinated 2,800 people on Thursday, along with a combined 434 people at its satellite sites in Sweetwater and Florida City.
The latest group eligible for the vaccine are all teachers and school staff, regardless of age.
“Excited, extremely excited,” Miami-Dade County Public Schools Transportation employee Ann Killy said. “We are frontline employees and we need to be protected.”
In addition to Pre-K-12 school employees, the federal vaccination sites serve seniors 65 and older, firefighters and law enforcement officers 50 and older and individuals 18 and older with a physician-signed Department of Health form.
“The age-based approach we think is the most effective to reduce mortality,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said this week. “You know, at the same time, the federal government is the one sending us the vaccine. If they want it to be for all ages then they have the ability to go and do that.”
DeSantis reiterated his message about seniors first on Friday during an appearance at a retirement community in Ocala.
During that news conference, the governor announced that the state would be lowering its age requirement for vaccines in March to either 60 or 55.
He said a formal announcement on the matter would be made soon and that it was more likely that he would first lower the age requirement to 60 before then allowing those 55 and older to be vaccinated.
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Here’s the form to prove COVID-19 vulnerability to get a shot in Florida