Kelly Hayes
Hillsborough County will resume COVID-19 vaccinations this week for residents 65 and older following a chaotic launch last week.
The county has adjusted its registration system for the next round of vaccinations, following technical difficulties and clogged phone lines seen throughout last week. Now, those looking to make an appointment can do so online through CDR HealthPro or by calling 850-848-5287 on Tuesday.
However, in order to avoid overwhelmed lines, registration is designated among different age groups at different times.
— Residents 85 and older can register between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
— Residents older than 75 but younger than 85 can register between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
— Residents older than 65 but younger than 75 can register between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
After 5 p.m., any resident over 65 can call to schedule an appointment through the 24-hour call center. Seniors looking to get vaccinated are advised to create an account on the site in advance, which will save time when registering for an appointment.
Hillsborough County has allocated 9,000 doses of the vaccine to be administered at three distribution sites from Wednesday through Friday. The County’s public vaccination sites delivered 8,447 shots last week to seniors, and 522 shots to front-line health care workers in a targeted vaccination effort.
Appointments are mandatory to get the first of two vaccine injections, and each age group has a dedicated number of appointment slots available to help ensure equity in scheduling.
The three vaccine distribution sites are:
— Vance Vogel Sports Complex located at 13012 Bullfrog Creek Road, Gibsonton, FL 33534
— Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds located at 2700 W. Risk St., Plant City, FL 33563
— Ed Radice Sports Complex located at 14720 Ed Radice Drive, Tampa, FL 33626
Last Friday, for the third day in a row, Hillsborough County confirmed more than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19, rivaling numbers seen during the summer spike in July and into August. That brought the county’s total caseload to 84,714. The county also confirmed eight deaths, bringing its overall death toll to 1,118.
