Advertisement

Hillsborough County to start vaccinating seniors next week

Residents can start registering Monday for appointments to receive the first vaccinations in the county.
 
Patient Lagretta Lenker receives her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Mary Ellen Chacon in Tampa on Wednesday. Hillsborough County has announced plans to vaccinate residents 65 and older starting next week.
Patient Lagretta Lenker receives her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Mary Ellen Chacon in Tampa on Wednesday. Hillsborough County has announced plans to vaccinate residents 65 and older starting next week. [ DANIEL WALLACE I TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL | Daniel Wallace I Tampa General Hospital ]
Published Dec. 31, 2020|Updated Jan. 4, 2021

Hillsborough County has announced plans to vaccinate residents 65 and older starting next week.

Related: MONDAY UPDATE: Hillsborough County website crashes on first day of COVID-19 vaccine registration

The first appointments can be booked starting Monday. Then the first vaccinations will take place on Wednesday and Thursday.

The county, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough, will administer about 1,500 vaccinations at one of four sites across the county, according to a statement released Thursday.

Hillsborough’s announcement came on the day that Florida set a new record for coronavirus infections, reporting 17,192 cases on Thursday. The nation also reported a record 3,740 deaths. Hillsborough County reported three deaths and has a 14 percent positivity rating, one of the highest in the Tampa Bay region.

Related: What happened when Floridians got the vaccine

Each of Florida’s counties is establishing its own plan for distributing the coronavirus vaccine. The 1,500 doses comes from Hillsborough’s initial shipment of 4,000 shots from the state, which are already being given to frontline health care workers.

A county official said two vaccines will be available, the Moderna vaccine, which requires a second shot 28 days later, and the Pfizer vaccine, which requires a person to receive a second shot 21 days later to be considered fully vaccinated.

Related: Florida breaks record with 17,000+ coronavirus cases in one day

This is not first-come, first-served, however. Vaccinations will only be given to those who book appointments in advance. Online sign-ups start at 9 a.m. Monday at hccovid19shot.as.me. Those who do not have access to the Internet can call 888-755-2822 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Here are the four vaccination sites according to the day they’ll be open:

Wednesday:

  • West Ed Radice Sports Complex: 14720 Ed Radice Drive, Tampa.
  • East Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds: 2700 W Risk St., Plant City.

Thursday:

  • North University Mall parking lot: 2200 E Fowler Ave., Tampa.
  • South Vance Vogel Sports Complex: 13012 Bullfrog Creek Road, Gibsonton.

There will be no waiting list for vaccinations. The county said it will set appointments as it receives new shipments of the vaccine, which should be arriving on a weekly basis from the state.

The governor has prioritized vaccinations for residents of long-term care facilities, health care workers and seniors, anyone 65 and older.

Editor’s note: Hillsborough County will offer two kinds of vaccines to seniors. A previous version of this story was incorrect on this point.

Related: Few coronavirus vaccines for Florida seniors

• • •

Tampa Bay Times coronavirus coverage

HOW CORONAVIRUS IS SPREADING IN FLORIDA: Find the latest numbers for your county, city or zip code.

Keep up with Tampa Bay’s top headlines

Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter

We’ll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every morning.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

VACCINES Q & A: Have coronavirus vaccine questions? We have answers, Florida.

FACE MASKS: Read the latest on guidelines, tips for comfort and long-term wear

GET THE DAYSTARTER MORNING UPDATE: Sign up to receive the most up-to-date information.

THE CORONAVIRUS SCRAPBOOK: We collected your stories, pictures, songs, recipes, journals and more to show what life has been like during the pandemic.

A TRIBUTE TO THE FLORIDIANS TAKEN BY THE CORONAVIRUS: They were parents and retirees, police officer and doctors, imperfect but loved deeply.

HAVE A TIP?: Send us confidential news tips

We’re working hard to bring you the latest news on the coronavirus in Florida. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. If you haven’t already subscribed, please consider buying a print or digital subscription.