Florida health dept. opens new COVID vaccination site in Manatee County. What to know.
There’s new place to receive COVID-19 vaccination and booster doses in Manatee County.
The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County announced in a press release its Manatee South Center, 7780 Westmoreland Drive off U.S. 41, now offers free vaccine and booster shots.
Appointments can be made at 941-242-6649, though walk-ins are accepted. The main department of health clinic in Manatee County is at 410 Sixth Avenue East.
“The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and its variants is to get vaccinated,” health officer Dr. Jennifer Bencie said in the release. “Being vaccinated decreases the likelihood you will get sick and makes it less likely you will need hospitalization or die if you get infected.”
The Manatee South Center is only offering vaccines and boosters at this time, the health department said, with staff planning to include COVID testing and basic services in upcoming weeks. The new site is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Vaccine safety
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list COVID-19 vaccines as safe and effective on its website. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization use to the double-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in late 2020.
In August, the FDA gave full approval for the Pfizer vaccine. Booster doses from Pfizer and Moderna were approved for emergency use in November.
Manatee County clinics and pharmacies began offering vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 in November, the Herald previously reported.
The first Florida cases of the latest COVID-19 variant, omicron, were detected this week.
This story was originally published December 10, 2021 at 3:41 PM.
