Storms disrupt COVID-19 vaccines in Manatee County. More events are coming

Severe weather this past weekend forced Manatee County to reschedule the COVID-19 vaccines planned for Sunday.

High winds and heavy downpours persisted throughout the weekend. A tornado damaged about 20 homes in southern Manatee County on Saturday, followed by a severe thunderstorm watch on Sunday, when the county’s vaccine site at Tom Bennett Park closed early.

In a message posted to Twitter on Monday morning, the county’s public safety department announced new appointments for the vaccines that got derailed by weekend storms.

“If you were not able to receive your vaccine yesterday, you will be rescheduled for the same appointment time on Thursday, April 15, at Tom Bennett Park,” the post states.

Anyone who misses the make-up appointments on Thursday can still attend the county’s first-come, first-served vaccine event on April 21. The event is scheduled for 8 a.m. to noon at Tom Bennett Park, 280 Kay Road, Bradenton.

Monday was the last day for sign-ups in the county’s random standby pool. Going forward, the Manatee County Public Safety Department will ditch the appointment process and hold the first-come, first-served vaccination sites when demand warrants an event.

“We have seen a decreased demand for vaccines, particularly in the younger age groups,” Public Safety Director Jacob Saur recently said. “Now that it is readily available at pharmacies and soon to be at physician offices, residents wanting to get it will have more options.”

For more information, call 311 or 941-742-4300.

This story was originally published April 12, 2021 at 12:55 PM.