Volusia County

Volusia County changes COVID-19 vaccine plans after long line leaves many out cold

DELOTNA, Fla. — Volusia County health officials said the county is making changes to how it distributes the COVID-19 vaccine.

Earlier this week, people waited hours in line to get the vaccine in Daytona Beach. Some senior citizens even camped out in their cars overnight in in 40-degree weather.

A vaccination clinic in Deltona is running by appointments only, which is the method Volusia County is going to use moving forward.

Watch: ‘It is frustrating’: Assisted living facility director voices concern over vaccination schedule

By the end of the day Friday, 2,000 seniors will have received their Moderna COVID-19 shots at Deltona’s vaccination clinic. Each one had to book an appointment online ahead of time.

The slots filled up just three minutes after registration opened.

But in Daytona Beach, cars of seniors stretched for miles as they waited in line for more than 10 hours for a chance to get the shot at Daytona Stadium.

Watch: Florida’s elderly struggle to find COVID-19 vaccines as nonresidents fly in for open shots

It was done on a first-come, first-served basis, with 1,000 shots given out each of the two days.

The head of the county’s health department apologized for what happened and said it will be appointments only going forward.

For anyone still looking for a vaccine, the county said more doses are on the way. But it’s unclear how many doses will be coming in the next batch.

Watch: Less than a third of Florida’s available COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, CDC says

There are no residency requirements to receive the vaccine, but you need to be 65 years or older.