Vaccines for 12 to 15-year-olds ending soon at Orange Co. Convention Center

Vaccines for 12-15 year-olds ending soon at Orange Co. Convention Center

Friday is the last day 12-15 year-olds can get their first dose of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine at the Orange County Convention Center.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Friday is the last day 12 to 15-year-olds can get their first dose of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine at the Orange County Convention Center.

The vaccination site at the convention center is closing May 21. In order for a child to get the vaccine, parents need to make their child an appointment, accompany their child to the appointment, and sign a consent form.

Children who receive their first dose at the convention center will have to get their second dose elsewhere. Orange County is offering vaccinations at four recreation centers in the county:

Goldenrod Park Recreation Center Gymnasium: 4863 N. Goldenrod Rd., Winter Park, FL 32792
Meadow Woods Recreation Center Gymnasium: 1751 Rhode Island Woods Circle, Orlando, FL 32824
South Econ Recreation Center Gymnasium: 3850 S. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, FL 32829
West Orange Recreation Center Gymnasium: 309 SW Crown Point Rd., Winter Garden, FL 34787

All locations are open Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are closed on Mondays.

Statewide, only 20,600 12 to 15-year-olds children have received the COVID vaccine as of May 18, according to the Florida Department of Health website. The age group just became eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine last week.

A couple of teenagers told FOX 35 News they wanted to get the vaccine to feel more comfortable traveling out of state.

"I've been waiting on it because my birthday's in June, so I was hoping I could get it so I could go to summer camps like late June," said 15-year-old Bristol Whitney, who received the Pfizer vaccine on the first day Orange County started administering it to 12 to 15-year-olds.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said on the first day of eligibility, 143 younger children were vaccinated between its four recreation center vaccination sites.

Mayor Demings said, "We have noted that nearly 47 percent of the vaccinations… at our recreation sites were made up of those in the age bracket of those 12 to 15. So we’re seeing new interest in getting the 12 to 15-year-olds vaccinated by parents here in the community."

The Orange County Convention Center is still administering second dose vaccine shots to people 16 and older through Friday. The site will offer the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine to people 18 and older on May 20 and May 21.