Feds to open new COVID-19 vaccination site in Tampa. Here’s how to get your shot

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday that the state and federal government have partnered to open up a new regional vaccination site in Tampa that will offer at least 2,000 COVID-19 vaccinations a day.

Four new sites will open in Florida. The closest will be at the Tampa Greyhound Track, 755 E. Waters Ave., Tampa.

The three other sites are in Orlando, Jacksonville and Miami.

The sites will open March 3 and will operate from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m each day. Each site also will have smaller, mobile satellite sites that will conduct 500 vaccinations daily in under-served areas.

To sign up for a vaccination, you must use the the state’s preregistration system at myvaccine.fl.gov. Once registered through the state, you will need to schedule an appointment through the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County by calling 866-201-5412.

The White House on Friday followed up on the announcement, saying, the federal government “is deploying federal teams immediately to work hand-in-hand with state and local jurisdictions.”

The sites, designed as “hubs” or “spokes” are intended to serve residents in a regional manner and is the first of a pilot program to test the efficiency of expanding COVID-19 vaccinations.

The Tampa region was selected due to its Centers for Disease Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index, which measures a community based on critical points such as socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status and other factors.

“This tool was created to help emergency response planners and public health officials identify and map communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event, said Ike Haginazarian, a regional White House spokesman.

This story was originally published February 19, 2021 at 11:50 AM.