Big changes announced for COVID vaccine site in Manatee. Here’s what to know

Note: This article has been updated to reflect additional changes announced on Aug. 23 for the COVID-19 vaccine site operated by the Florida Department of Health in Palmetto.

The Florida Department of Health has announced some big changes for one of its COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites in Manatee County.

The site, located at the Palmetto Bus Station, 1802 Eighth Ave., Palmetto, will no longer offer COVID-19 tests, according to the health department.

The site is now exclusively offering COVID-19 vaccines by appointment only. All three COVID-19 vaccines (the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot) are available to the general public at the site. And an additional, third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is now available at the site for people with compromised immune systems.

On Monday, as the Pfizer vaccine became the first to receive full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug and Administration, local health officials continued to urge residents to get vaccinated.

“We’re especially glad to hear that the FDA has approved Pfizer’s brand of COVID-19 vaccine,” DOH-Manatee Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Bencie said in a statement. “Anything that can help alleviate the concerns of those who are still hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 for any reason is welcome.”

Additional dose for immunocompromised

Health officials note that the additional dose is specifically targeted at those with weakened immune systems, and it is not the same thing as a booster shot.

“An additional mRNA dose following an initial vaccine series is given to people who may not have had a strong enough immune response after receiving the initial vaccine series,” current vaccine guidance from the CDC says.

“We don’t want people to confuse these additional doses with booster shots,” DOH-Manatee spokesman Christopher Tittel said. “The booster shots for everyone else will be here later.”

People with the following conditions are among those who qualify for the additional dose, according to the CDC and FDOH-Manatee County:

• Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies;
• Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy;
• Receipt of CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy);
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome);
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection;
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.

Booking an appointment

Appointments for the general public seeking first and second shots as well as immunocompromised individuals seeking third shots are available from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays and can be booked by dialing 941-242-6646.

Patients receiving second or third shots will be asked to present their vaccination cards at the time of the appointment.

Those who schedule a shot are also asked to download and complete the vaccination consent form available on DOH-Manatee County’s website at manatee.floridahealth.gov and bring it with them to the appointment.

When will I be able to get a booster shot?

Booster shots for the general public could be here as early as September, according to DOH-Manatee spokesman Christopher Tittel.

A booster shot is recommended eight months after an individual’s second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC. Health officials are still determining when a booster shot for the J&J vaccine will be needed; an announcement will be made in the coming weeks, according to a statement from the CDC on Aug. 18.

The booster shots will be likely be made available in the same order that vaccines were doled out the first time, according to the CDC, with healthcare workers, seniors and nursing home residents first in line.

In the meantime, Tittel encourages people to continue getting tested if they have COVID-19 symptoms or suspect they have been exposed.

Where can I get a COVID-19 test or vaccine now?

Testing: FDOH-Manatee County continues to offer walk-up, appointment-free COVID-19 testing from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto. PCR and rapid tests are available. A listing of local testing sites by city and county can be found online at floridahealthcovid19.gov/testing-sites.

Vaccines: A listing of additional local vaccination sites can be found online at vaccines.gov or floridahealthcovid19.gov/vaccines/vaccine-locator.

This story was originally published August 19, 2021 at 11:31 AM.