Orlando leaders pushing for vaccinations before Fourth of July

ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando elected officials are encouraging people to get vaccinated before the Fourth of July.

"There isn’t a chip in the needle and when you receive the vaccine, the government is not attempting to track you or give you the virus," Orlando City Commissioner Bakari Burns said.

Orlando’s elected leaders are concerned about the Delta variant, which is the strain of coronavirus that caused widespread infections in India. It has been detected in Florida and now the CDC says it could become the dominant strain in the US.

"What we’re doing is working to save lives and keep as many people in our communities safe and as healthy as possible," Burns said.

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The city of Orlando hosted a vaccination drive at the Dr. James R. Smith center on Wednesday to try to combat vaccine hesitancy in this community.

Shanlando Ellington went to the drive to get her first dose, but she tells FOX 35 she didn’t want to at first.

"I’m scared of needles," Ellington said. "My mom told me, so that’s why I came down here."

Once the fourth of July passes, elected officials will be pushing to try to get more people vaccinated before the start of school in Orange County on August 10.

"We want everyone to be able to be able to congregate and feel the assurance that they’re safe and keeping everyone else safe," Burns said.

Watch FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.