ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Anyone 40 and older is now eligible to get the coronavirus vaccine at the Orange County Convention Center.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said last week that he had conversations with state officials about the move to lower the vaccine eligibility age. This decision does not follow the current eligibility rules in Florida, but Demings said he does not think Gov. Ron DeSantis will prevent Orange County from making the move.
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“At the end of the day, the governor wants the best for the residents of Florida and Orange County,” Demings said.
Residents between the ages of 40-59 could visit the Florida Department of Health in Orange County website at 9 a.m. on Monday to make an appointment. Time slots quickly filled up within 13 minutes on the first morning of the new age group, according to Demings.
County officials said crews can administer 3,100 COVID-19 doses a day at the convention center.
The mayor hopes to get the herd immunity number to about 80% of the population.
“We’ve done a fairly good job with our seniors, and now we have to kind of move to middle young adults,” Demings said.
Orange County officials said 57% of people 60 and older in Orange County have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Any educator, law enforcement employee, corrections employee, fire department employee, health care worker, veteran and medically vulnerable person are eligible for the vaccine in Orange County.
Anyone interested in signing up for the vaccine in Orange County can click this link.
The county also offers free transportation for anyone 60 and older with a scheduled appointment to the Orange County Convention Center and the FEMA site at the west campus of Valencia College. Anyone interested in using this program can call 311.