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Pregnant woman said she made the decision to get vaccinated
Like many people at the Florida Department of Health's Orange County mobile COVID-19 vaccine site at the Orlando Police Department, Dina Dorestan had been strongly against getting the COVID-19 vaccine for months.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Like many people at the Florida Department of Health's Orange County mobile COVID-19 vaccine site at the Orlando Police Department, Dina Dorestan had been strongly against getting the COVID-19 vaccine for months.
"Just different things you read. It hasn’t been around for too long, conspiracy stuff, things you see on Facebook here. Conspiracy stuff," Dorestan said.
Also like many others, this expecting mother changed her mind.
"I lost two friends this week, in their 30s, to the virus. So, that was my wake-up call," she said.
Dina said one of her friends had an underlying health condition, the other did not. She is now eight months pregnant and tells FOX 35 News that both her OBGYN and her fertility doctor have been urging her to get vaccinated for months.
"It’s better to be safe than sorry," Dina said. Her husband got vaccinated minutes after she did. Right now, they’re thinking about more than just themselves, they want to do all they can to protect their new baby.
"Now that I’m eight months, I’m like, ‘You know what, it can go to the baby through antibodies, so I’m just like let me go ahead and protect my child,’" Dina said.
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More kids getting vaccinated
Lorinda Whitley had her 14 and 17-year-old girls get the Pfizer shot Friday morning.
Lorinda Whitley had her 14 and 17-year-old girls get the Pfizer jab Friday morning.
"I felt nervous but I really didn’t want to get the vaccine, but I understand where she’s coming from," 17-year-old Jasmine said.
Lorinda didn’t give the girls a choice.
"I’ve been there. It’s scary. It’s absolutely scary. You don’t know if your family member is going to come home once they go to the hospital," Lorinda said.
She, her husband and Jasmine all got COVID-19 in June 2020.
"The only thing. I couldn’t taste or smell," Jasmine said.
Her dad wasn’t as fortunate. He had to spend six weeks at AdventHealth, one of those months was on a ventilator.
"It was really scary," Jasmine said.
"Two physicians didn’t expect him to live, and even when he came off the vent, they didn’t even know how. I just don’t want to go through it again. It was nerve-wracking, heartbreaking," Lorinda told FOX 35 news.
Lorinda and her husband, Willie, got vaccinated in the spring. Until now, they were unsure whether to get their kids vaccinated.
But with the Delta variant, COVID-19 cases are on the rise and the kids are going back to school in two and a half weeks. Lorinda said she doesn’t want to take any chances.
"Every day I found myself preaching, please keep that mask on. So, just making that conscious decision [that] my children need to get vaccinated," Lorinda said.
Here is the schedule for upcoming Florida Department of Health Orange County mobile vaccine sites:
- Monday, July 26, 2021: Dover Shores Neighborhood Center
1400 Gaston Foster Road, Orlando 32812
2:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. or while supplies last
- Tuesday, July 27, 2021: Goodwill, OBT
7531 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando 32809
9 a.m. until 1 p.m. or while supplies last
- Tuesday, July 27, 2021: Orange County Tax Collector West Oaks Mall
9401 W. Colonial Drive, Suite 360, Ocoee 34761
3 p.m. until 5 p.m. or while supplies last
- Wednesday, July 28, 2021: Lake Eola Park
512 E. Washington St., Orlando 32801 (near the bandshell)
9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. or while supplies last
- Wednesday, July 28, 2021: Orange County Tax Collector / Lee Vista
6050 Wooden Pine Drive, Suite 100, Orlando 32829
3 p.m. until 5 p.m. or while supplies last
- Thursday, July 29, 2021: InTown Suites Extended Stay Orlando
736 Lee Road, Orlando, 32810
1:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
- Friday, July 30, 2021: La Bendicion Supermercado
1717 W. Oak Ridge Road, Orlando 32839
10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. or while supplies last
- Friday, July 30, 2021: Congregación Mita de Florida, Inc
200 W. Lancaster Road, Orlando 32809
4 p.m. until 7 p.m. or while supplies last
- Saturday, July 31, 2021: Oak Ridge High School
700 W. Oak Ridge Road, Orlando 32809
10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. or while supplies last
- Saturday, July 31, 2021: Waterford Lakes
413 N. Alafaya Trail, Orlando 32828
2 p.m. until 5 p.m. or while supplies last