Seminole County gets double the vaccine doses after fight with state

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole County continues to distribute COVID-19 vaccinations this week, at both its fixed location at the Oviedo mall as well as its mobile points of distribution.

However, after weeks of having their doses of the COVID-19 vaccine cut in half, Seminole County will get double the amount next week.

County officials told WFTV on Monday that the state miscalculated the amount of vaccines Seminole should have been getting all along.

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On Monday, Seminole county officials were at the East Coast Believers Church where officials discussed the importance of these mobile sites in reaching underserved communities. Second doses of the vaccine were also given to hundreds of people at the East Coast Believers Church on Monday.

“It was wonderful the first time and the second time. Didn’t even feel it. They did a beautiful job,” said Felicia Tringali of Winter Springs, who was there with her husband getting their second dose of the vaccine.

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To date, since the vaccination process began Seminole County has hosted 18 mobile vaccine sites, with many being held in partnership with faith-based communities.

“Our faith based leaders know the community they are in and they help us serve the segments of community that it’s sometime hard for the government to get to,” said Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris.

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Harris also said these faith based organizations help Seminole County to reach low and fixed income communities, communities with language barriers or transportation disadvantaged communities.

These mobile vaccination sites almost came to an end due to Seminole County receiving less and less vaccine.

Harris said, “we were told this week we are getting double last week, still not enough but 3,900 instead of 1,900 so that will be a lot more we can put in the community.”

Harris said there was a mix up on the state level when it came to the number of the population who are elderly. Harris also said Seminole County has been fighting with the state for the last two weeks to correct it.

“And when the fight was over it was determined they calculated us wrong and they were giving us less doses than the rest of the county’s allocation per capita,” Harris said. “So they corrected it this week and that’s why we are getting double the doses.”

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According to Harris, Seminole County asked the state to retroactively fix the issue and send the doses they did not get in weeks past. Seminole County did not win that fight, but said they will continue to fight for those doses.

Next week Seminole County are looking at five mobile sites across the county to dispense the vaccine.

Cox Media Group