Pinellas County to open Covid vaccine appointment slots Saturday morning

Residents aged 65 and over will get another crack at signing up for an appointment to receive the Covid-19 vaccine beginning Saturday (Jan. 23) at 10 a.m.

The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County and the Pinellas County government – which recently joined forces to streamline the vaccination process – plan to distribute 8,000 vaccines beginning Monday at four locations across the county. Pinellas County Fire paramedic crews will operate the sites.

Appointments are mandatory to get the first of two injections and residents are encouraged to create an account ahead of time by clicking here or calling 844-770-8548. That way, they’ll be able to get online and make an appointment as soon as registration goes live Saturday at 10 a.m. No appointments can be booked prior to that time, and there is no waiting list. Details about where to go for the vaccine will be provided upon appointment confirmation. Appointments for the required second dose can be made at the time of scheduling. 

If previous experience is any indicator, Saturday’s slots will fill up quickly. When a shipment of 10,000 vaccines was announced Jan. 15, all the doses were snapped up in just over an hour. 

With roughly 250,000 residents aged 65 and up in Pinellas County, local leaders have urged people to be patient, saying that the process of getting everyone vaccinated will take months, not days. 

However, there might be slightly less competition for the coveted appointments this time around. Due to an onslaught of people from outside the state coming here to get vaccinated, patients must now show proof of Florida residency to receive a vaccine. Examples include a valid Florida drivers license, state-issued ID, deed or utility bill with the patient’s name and address. Part-time residents will be asked to provide a part-time rental agreement.

As far as Friday’s numbers, the Florida Department of Health reported another 683 cases of Covid-19 in Pinellas County and one additional deaths, bringing the cumulative county total since March to 56,247 cases and 1,20 deaths. The two-week percent positivity rate now stands at 8.4 percent. As of Friday afternoon, there were 340 people hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of Covid-19 in Pinellas County’s acute-care hospitals, with 20.4 percent of adult ICU beds available. More than 56,000 people have been vaccinated against the virus countywide. To view an interactive ZIP code map of Covid cases in Pinellas County, click here. 

For more information on vaccine availability and what to do to prepare for your appointment, visit the Pinellas County government site or the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County site.