LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — Vaccines will be available for all adults starting April 5 but there are several ways people can get in line right now.
You can either go to the statewide pre-registration portal, TMH's vaccine portal or grab an appointment at places like CVS, Walgreens or Walmart. If you don't want to make an appointment, there's always the Al Lawson Center walk-up site.
If you're home-bound and you want a vaccine, there are different options available to help. You can go on a Starmetro city bus for a free ride, as long as you show the driver proof of an appointment.
You can also contact VolunteerLEON at (850) 606-1970 to receive a ride from a faith-based organization. You can also email homeboundvaccine@em.myflorida.com to request a state employee to visit your home for a shot.
While for many is a big step toward normalcy, one group believes there's a lot left to be done.
"The fight is just beginning," said Elaine Bryant with the Tallahassee Coronavirus Education and Engagement Taskforce. The group, along with Bond Community Health, will be going door-to-door Saturday to share information about vaccinations in the Griffin Heights area.
They will also help get those who want to be vaccinated rides to the clinic at Mt. Zion Church. Bryant said while more people will be able to get vaccinated, the fight against the pandemic won't be over until they can get more people protected from the virus.
"Percentages are still low in African-Americans, people of color, minority neighborhoods and we will continue to go into neighborhoods," said Bryant. "This is just our start. Our first venture out."
"Well this is what we've been waiting for," said Bond Community Health CEO Dr. Temple Robinson.
The Florida Department of Health reports the Leon County positivity rate below three percent for three weeks in a row. Robinson said the time to act is now.
"This is what we need in Leon County," said Dr. Robinson. "Our numbers are going down and the only way we can beat this COVID virus is to get everybody vaccinated."
When it comes to if the supply will match the demand in Leon County, Robinson said she believes there will be enough vaccines to go around.
"It comes from various sources," said Dr. Robinson. "We may get 1000 or so from what we call the federal allotment we may get several hundred from the state allotment and as we spend those down, we request more. We want to make sure we get enough for first and second doses but we haven't had a problem receiving vaccines timely."
Right now, Florida DOH data shows the state has received 8,071,096 so far from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson. Out of those, 5,346,471 have been used. It's an encouraging sign as the state opens vaccines to all adults in April.
"As I always say, you need to beat someone while they're down," said Dr. Robinson. "You need to beat this COVID virus while it's down. While the numbers are down in Leon County. This is when we can double down on our efforts, get everyone vaccinated, continue to mask up so we can get COVID out of this area."
