Volusia County to begin vaccinating 65+ for COVID-19 on Monday
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Florida Department of Health Volusia County will open the COVID-19 vaccine site at the Daytona Stadium on Monday. Gates will open at 7 a.m. Vaccinations begin at 9 a.m.
The county will vaccinate 1,000 people 65 and older on Monday and another 1,000 on Tuesday.
The Daytona Beach Police Department has released its traffic plans for the event.
Only the Moderna vaccine will be provided at this initial community vaccination event.
Each person will receive a 2nd dose reminder card that lists the date and the manufacturer for the first vaccine.
"The Moderna booster vaccination should be received 28 days after the initial dose," the DOH said in a news release. "The second dose must be from the same manufacturer as the first vaccine. After receiving a vaccination, recipients will be required to remain on site for 15-30 minutes for medical monitoring."
"It’s going to be packed. I think a lot of people are waiting for it," said Dianne Wall, who plans to get a vaccine.
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The county is operating the site on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some people camped out to be some of the first to receive the vaccine.
"Hoping to learn if we could bring a small RV. So if we get here Sunday night, someone might have to go to the bathroom," said Tim Wagner.
People came by the site on Thursday to look at the layout from afar.
"We came here today because we wanted to see where the drive-in was to get into the stadium, sort of a dry-run," said Dustin Mann, who plans to get a vaccine.
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The Daytona Beach Police Department is warning people not to camp out. They said in a statement:
"We understand that there is very high demand for this vaccine and that some people are considering camping out the night before or showing up hours in advance to make sure they or their loved ones get the shot first. We DO NOT encourage you to do that because it is a potential safety hazard to everyone involved."
As vaccinations ramp up across the state, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) reports it has evidence of the first identified case of the United Kingdom COVID-19 variant in Martin County.
Health officials describe the individual as a man in his 20s with no history of travel. The new and more contagious coronavirus strain was first detected in the U.K. in September, but it has now been detected in Florida, Colorado and California.
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"As cases pop up and as the variant is discovered, we might find that it's in more places than just a few states," said Dr. Jason Littleton. "Right now, we're not really seeing any pattern. I think it's possible the variant is all over the U.S. right now."
Infectious disease expert Dr. William Schaffner said the new variant could be widespread but the cases haven't been detected yet. He said when someone tests positive for COVID-19, it takes further testing to find out the specific strain of the virus.
Watch FOX 35 Orlando for the latest coronavirus news.