HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Five FEMA-supported mobile COVID-19 vaccinations sites will open Thursday on a one-day-only basis.
They include:
- First Brazilian Church at 1103 NE 33rd Street in Pompano Beach from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Mision Peniel at 208 Boston Avenue in Immokalee from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Bridge to Hope at 17700 SW 280th St in Homestead from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Global Church at 17701 NW 57th Avenue in Miami from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Feeding South Florida at 650 NW 5th Avenue in Florida City
A spokesperson said sites should each have 400 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and closing times could be earlier if that allotment is exhausted.
A long line had already formed outside Global Church before dawn. We’re told the first person in line showed up around 2 a.m., six hours ahead of the site’s opening.
The purpose of these pop-up sites is to vaccinate members of vulnerable communities, using the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine in places where people might have difficulty coming out for a second dose.
Dozens of people have been waiting in line at Global Church on NW 57th Ave. to get their @JNJNews vaccine this morning. The one-dose shot will be administered starting at 8 AM and will stop when the supply is exhausted. Four hundred doses are available. pic.twitter.com/cqB6d1xXH7
— Madeleine Wright (@MWrightWPLG) April 1, 2021
Local reaction to Pfizer findings
Meanwhile, local physicians said they welcome pharmaceutical giant Pfizer’s announcement that its vaccine is 100% effective against symptomatic illness in children between the ages of 12 and 15.
“As a pediatrician, this is what we’ve been waiting to hear,” said Dr. Ron Ford, chief medical officer at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood. “This is a game-changer.”
While most doctors consider children to be at low risk, Dr. Otto Ramos with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami said the hospital has treated more than 5,000 children with the disease. Some have suffered unique complications from the virus.
“Out of those, about 500 have ended up in the hospital for one reason or another. We’ve had over 100 that require intensive care,” Ramos said.
Pfizer’s vaccine is still not yet authorized for use by anyone under 16.