DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – After a few days of vaccine distribution in Volusia County, county leaders are changing the way vaccines are managed in the future.
This includes a new location and a new online system.
What you need to know
- The vaccine site reached capacity around 6 a.m. on the second day in a row
- The old people said they just wanted to be able to hug their grandchildren again
- Volusia moved the distribution of vaccines to Deltona from Thursday
- The county also began taking online appointments, which are already booked
- RELATED: Getting a Vaccine in Central Florida: What You Need to Know
On Thursday and Friday, 1,000 seniors each day will receive the Modern COVID-19 vaccine by appointment only. Appointments were posted at three in the afternoon on Tuesday afternoon and were claimed at 3:11 p.m.
This change is welcome for seniors who stopped getting vaccinated at Daytona Stadium on Monday and Tuesday.
On Tuesday at 6 a.m., the vaccination site at Daytona Stadium, which was taking 1,000 people a day on a first-come, first-served basis, had closed its line. Some motorists had been camping with their cars since 7pm on Monday.
Vaccinations were not scheduled to begin until nine in the morning
The seniors I spoke to have been in line since two-thirty on Monday afternoon to get vaccinated THIS morning at Daytona Stadium. They slept in the car all night with a lot of food / water and said it was worth it.
“I hope to be able to get the next shot soon so I can see the rest of my family.”@ MyNews13 https://t.co/Nb4y1iaLFO pic.twitter.com/DHLhxZjjdU
– JSotoNews13 (@ JSotoNews13) January 5, 2021
On Monday, hundreds of people were removed after dozens of cars lined up on LPGA Boulevard. The city decided to open its doors earlier on Tuesday, citing security.
According to Daytona Beach police, officials would initially not let anyone park overnight, but were quickly overwhelmed by the number of people who showed up.
The Baileys lined up from 2:30 p.m. Monday and brought food and water so they could sleep all night in the car. But when the site reached capacity and the line closed, they were still on the line 6 miles away.
“I’d love to see my grandchildren, spend time with them. I hope to be able to take the next shot soon so I can see the rest of my family,” Edward Bailey said.
The Haldermans are Missouri snow birds who also slept in their car.
“It was really nice, because Missouri is a little behind. They’re still doing residences for seniors and that kind of thing,” Kathy Halderman said.
On Monday, Roger Phillips said he was sidelined after being told he could not camp on Sunday night. He then came to a decision after starting vaccine training on Tuesday at noon.
Phillips tried again on Tuesday morning.
“I will not die. … If I am threatened with a ticket, give me the ticket, I will pay for it. But I think it’s better for me and my wife to be able to see our grandchildren and love them than to let ourselves go as we were this morning, ”he then told Spectrum News.
After trying to get vaccinated at Daytona Stadium, Roger Phillips is happy to now have an appointment to get vaccinated at Deltona. Volusia makes the change from the first to arrive, from the first service to the appointments. 2,000 appointments booked today for the weekend @ MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/vvkimF8pa5
– Nicole Griffin (@ NicoleNews13) January 5, 2021
Phillips was able to get appointments for him and his wife Tuesday afternoon. He said he had difficulty booking online, but that he got an appointment over the phone.
“I just think they need a better program, they need a better plan, a more effective plan to get this vaccine out,” Phillips said.
For those who were not vaccinated, more vaccines are expected to arrive in Volusia County.
According to DeLand city leaders, they have approved several locations for use as vaccine distribution points. They claimed they could have a vaccination event as early as next week.