As COVID-19 vaccinations continue to circulate throughout the nation, residents are prepared to receive the second dose of the vaccine amidst a new schedule posted by the Florida Department of Health in Leon County.
The department is still flooded with vaccination requests and appointment times are not yet available. Pre-set dates are open to patients who have received the first dose, yet Leon.floridaHealth.Gov says the “local vaccine appointment request line is currently full and closed for COVID-19 vaccine requests as we work to transition to a new website based appointment system.”
While residents wait for their second dose of the vaccine, many are finding the news of the registration system suspension discouraging—especially residents who are not yet at the age of 65.
Tallahassee resident, Berenice Mercer-Lewis, received the first dose of the vaccine and has been waiting about three weeks for the department to get another round.
“I am very fortunate to have been one of the many residents of Leon County to have received the first Pfizer vaccine,” said Mercer-Lewis. “But with the rising death toll and the system’s temporary suspension, I worry about how much longer will the individuals after me have to wait to receive the vaccine.”
Even with these concerns arising, Governor Ron DeSantis is steadfast with his plan to vaccinate all seniors in the state first and is making ground with said plan.
“We are almost at 700,000 seniors vaccinated in our state! #SeniorsFirst,” Gov. DeSantis tweeted.
The plan for all new doses that arrive in the county is to make sure that all are provided with the vaccines, and that all other citizens be tended to in an orderly fashion per the Executive Order 20-315. This outlines that providers can only administer the COVID-19 vaccine to long-term care facility residents and staff, people 65 years of age and older, health care personnel with direct patient contact, and people deemed to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by hospital providers.
Below is the schedule for when the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination will be administered. No vaccines will be given without an appointment.
Leon County Health Department
2965 Municipal Way
Tallahassee, FL 32304
Moderna Vaccine
- 1/23/2021 Saturday: 2nd dose Moderna if you received 1st dose on 12/26/2020
- 1/28/2021 Thursday: 2nd dose Moderna if you received 1st dose on 12/29/2020 and 2nd dose Moderna if you received 1st dose on 12/31/2020
- 2/2/2021 Tuesday: 2nd dose Moderna if you received your 1st dose on 1/2/2021 and 2nd dose Moderna if you received your 1st dose on 1/5/2021
- 2/9/2021 Tuesday: 2nd dose Moderna if you received your 1st dose on 1/12/2021
- 2/13/2021 Saturday: 2nd dose Moderna if you received your 1st dose on 1/16/2021
Pfizer Vaccine
- 1/30/2021 Saturday: 2nd dose Pfizer if you received 1st dose on 1/9/2021