First-dose Pfizer shots back at MDC North and other federal hubs in FL during J&J pause
4/20/2021: This article was updated with new information.
First-dose Pfizer shots are available again at Miami Dade College North campus and the other FEMA hub sites in Tampa, Jacksonville and Orlando as part of the state’s effort to increase vaccine access during the ongoing J&J pause.
People can get their first Pfizer shot at the sites starting Tuesday, April 20. Second-dose Pfizer will also continue to be offered.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management, which oversees the state’s vaccine distribution, confirmed the change to the Miami Herald on Friday, April 16.
It comes a few days after Florida stopped using Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, as was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, while officials investigate reports of rare blood clots.
MDC North and the other FEMA hubs can administer up to 3,000 first dose Pfizer shots per day, just like it previously did with J&J, the division said in an email Monday.
MDC North and the other FEMA-supported hubs had switched to J&J earlier this month ahead of their May 26 planned closings. Then the federal government suggested a pause in the J&J vaccine to look into reported blood clots.
Now the sites are back to Pfizer, which requires two shots, 21 days apart. The sites are still expected to close at the end of May.
“The state understands residents may have concerns that they will not be able to receive their second dose Pfizer vaccine prior to the sites closing,” the division said in an email. “However, the state and FEMA are committed to ensuring that all individuals who receive their first dose at a federally supported vaccination site are able to receive their second dose.”
Florida has not announced yet if it plans to extend operations at the sites or if the state will direct people to other locations for a second dose. If it’s the latter, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens will likely be one of the options. Any Florida resident who needs their second Pfizer shot can go there, even if they got their first shot elsewhere.
This story was originally published April 16, 2021 at 1:34 PM with the headline "First-dose Pfizer shots back at MDC North and other federal hubs in FL during J&J pause."
