ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A second delivery of the much-coveted COVID-19 vaccine arrived in St. Johns County on Monday with 800 additional doses.
“Online registration to make a vaccination appointment will open at 9 a.m. on Thursday, January 7, for appointments on Friday, January 8,” a notification from the county’s Emergency Operations Center said. “A registration link will be announced Wednesday. All appointments prior to Friday are allocated to those on the waiting list compiled by the Department of Health.”
After four days of long lines, confusing appointment protocols and a chaotic, first come, first served system, St. John’s County on Monday administered the last 200 of its initial 3,000 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses, shortly before the new batch of the much-coveted drug arrived.
On Monday, the county’s vaccination site moved from the Health Department office to the Solomon Calhoun Community Center. Administration of the county’s vaccinations was handed over from the Florida Department of Health’s local office to local agencies including St. Johns County Fire and Rescue, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Augustine Fire Department and St. Johns County Emergency Management.
The new operation ditched the drive-through format which the DOH had employed the four days prior, instead, administering shots in the community center’s gymnasium.
“We’ve got an indoor venue, where people come through and we’re mandating that people make appointments and show up close to their appointment time, so we can get them in,” said SJCFR’s Capt. Bob Snell.
The vaccinations were also given only to those who had an appointment, immediately after which, a follow-up appointment was scheduled for that patient to receive the second of the two doses required for Moderna’s vaccination regimen.
During the first four days of vaccine distribution in St. Johns County, the Florida Department of Health gave shots to whoever lined up first and fit the state’s vaccine criteria (health care workers with patient contact and patients 65 years or older). However, patients were not given a set appointment for the second dose.
Snell told News4Jax that the county has the contact information for all first-dose recipients and will communicate with them about the logistics of their next appointment.
“We have their information and we’ll be in contact, along with the emergency management folks, making appointments for them,” Snell said. “If they got vaccinated in St. Johns County, we’ll be the group that will deliver the second vaccination to them and we’ll make sure that they get it on time.”
The county is operating a text alert system to provide up-to-date information about the vaccine availability and distribution.