Manatee County to hold final appointment-free COVID vaccine clinic April 28
Manatee County government will offer a final chance for Florida residents 18 and older to get a first COVID-19 shot without an appointment next week.
The vaccines will again be administered in a drive-thru format at Tom Bennett Park at 400 Cypress Creek Boulevard in Bradenton from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Those who participate need to bring an ID and/or proof of Florida residency and should fill out a vaccine consent form ahead of time if possible. The form can be found at mymanatee.org. Vaccine recipients will be scheduled for a second dose on Wednesday, May 26.
Options for getting vaccinated have dramatically increased since the county’s vaccination efforts began earlier this year. As demand has dropped off at the county’s vaccine clinics in recent weeks, public safety staff say they are ramping down their vaccine efforts to begin preparing for hurricane season, which begins June 1.
As of Thursday, over 162,000 Manatee County residents, or about 40% of the population, have received at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 134,000 of those residents were vaccinated at clinics hosted by Manatee County.
Although the drive-thru appointments will be going away, there are still many options for getting vaccinated locally.
The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County has a handy online tool for finding a COVID-19 vaccination site near you. Visit floridahealthcovid19.gov/vaccines/vaccine-locator.
Government agencies offering COVID-19 vaccines:
- Residents with underlying medical conditions can book a vaccination appointment at DOH-Manatee’s building in Bradenton. A registration form signed by a healthcare provider is required. Call 941-242-6646 for more info.
- DOH-Manatee is also offering to host pop-up vaccination sites throughout the community, especially for remote populations such as migrant farm workers or mobile home communities. Those interested in partnering on a vaccination event can call the health department at 941-748-0747.
- DOH-Sarasota is offering no-appointment, walk-up vaccine appointments at Sarasota Square Mall. A consent from and ID are required. Visit scgov.net for more info.
- A federal vaccination site at the Tampa Greyhound Track, 755 E. Waters Ave. in Tampa is offering walk-up COVID-19 vaccinations daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit hillsboroughcounty.org for more info.
Retailers offering COVID-19 vaccines in Manatee:
This story was originally published April 23, 2021 at 7:29 AM.