Seminole County doles out second COVID-19 vaccine shots as vaccine supplies dwindle

OVIEDO, Fla. — Seminole County residents will begin to receive their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday at the Oviedo Mall.

Vaccine distribution has been going on at the mall for about a month. The county said so far it has vaccinated more than 30,000 people with at last the first dose of the vaccine.

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Those who received the Moderna vaccine at the mall on Dec. 28 came back to the mall for their second dose on Monday.

The Oviedo Mall is the first in the state to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents ages 65 or older. But in recent weeks, Emergency Manager Allan Harris said the county has seen its vaccine allotment slashed in half.

“This site will continue continue to do second doses but there certainly will be days where we are closed because we simply don’t have any vaccine,” Harris said.

Watch: Questions raised after vaccines shift from hospitals to county-run sites

Harris said the county was told half of its allotment was given to Publix to distribute, but Publix COVID-19 vaccine distribution has yet to start in Seminole County.

This weekend, the county will not be giving out first doses because of the shortage, but they will be giving out second doses. Next week, appointments will not be as robust because Harris said they only received 1,950 doses compared to the 12,000 doses the county received a few weeks ago.

Watch: Study: Children more likely to spread COVID-19 than adults

Officials said the location could vaccinate 4,000 a day, but they are not getting enough doses of the vaccine to do so.

Cox Media Group