Orange County launches vaccination plan for more than 65 residents at the Convention Center

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County leaders unveiled plans to vaccinate older residents and inform the community about COVID-19’s broader vaccination plans, which include a website, application, text, email and community centers.

The Orange County Health Department began administering emergency fire and paramedics at the Orange County Convention Center on Saturday.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said that starting Tuesday, people over the age of 65 can start vaccinating at the Orange County Convention Center between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., meetings will be required and only residents from Orange County are eligible.

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Residents can register at OCFL.net/vaccines, where they can also sign up for email updates to learn more about vaccine distribution. Here is the direct link for registration and this link contains step-by-step registration instructions.

Orange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino said people who make an appointment will receive reminders via text and email and when it’s time to return for the second dose, they will receive reminders again. . Residents will schedule a second dose at that location once they receive the first dose.

The county will provide text updates if people send OCFLCOVID text to 888777. Leaders are also working to train 311 operators to provide COVID-19 vaccine updates. It is also recommended to download the OCFL Alert application.

For those without a smartphone or computer, community centers will provide registration for the vaccine. In Orange County, East Orange, Taft, Holden Heights and Center Hills community centers will have staff available to help people over the age of 65 register for vaccination schedules.

In Orlando, Beardall Retirement Center on Delaney Boulevard and L. Claudia Allen Center on Mable Butler Boulevard will be available to help residents register, according to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

“The launch of the vaccine will take some time and we know that it will be several months before everyone has access,” Dyer said. “Wear your mask, it helps stop the spread.”

The goal is to vaccinate 1,500 residents a day at the Orange County Convention Center. Photos are free, but insurance information will be collected if the government can be reimbursed.

Pino said residents will receive the Moderna vaccine at the location and will then receive a card with a batch number, if this information is needed in the future.

“This book is important. The system will generate a card and archive a card on the web page and you will get a physical card, and our advice is to take a photo of that card and save it on your mobile device, if you have it, so that in case you need him in the future, “said Pino.

Those who receive the vaccine will have to wait an observation period of 15 minutes to make sure they do not have an adverse reaction. Pino said he has not heard of anyone reacting, but doctors and paramedics will be on hand to administer help if needed.

As for other tips, Pino suggested driving slowly and carefully on the site and be patient, as it will take some time for the photos to be available to the general public.

“So, what we ask of you is to be patient, we will reach you. We are doing everything we can to vaccinate as many people as possible, “said Pino.

Also, starting Tuesday, the mobile bridges will enter certain sections of nine housing complexes to inoculate their inhabitants. Pino said the effort is to ensure that low-income central floridians have access to the vaccine.

“We are interested in having access to minority people of color, to people with socio-economic problems in our society, as well as to people who do not have access to health care or providers. So, these mobile bridges will focus on that type of population in order to have access to it “, said Pino.

On Monday, neighboring Seminole County also began inoculating people over the age of 65. The vaccination site is located in the Oviedo Mall, and residents must make appointments.

For more vaccine distribution plans in Central Florida County, click here.