Largo Vaccination Site To Provide 2,000 Shots A Day

LARGO, FL — This week, Pinellas County opened a new vaccination site in Largo that will provide shots to at least 2,000 seniors age 65 and older a day.

Vaccines will be administered by Pinellas County fire paramedics and Department of Health-Pinellas staff by appointment only at the new site on 1197 East Bay Drive in Largo.

According to Pinellas County Administrator Barry Burton, this is the largest of the five vaccination sites now open in Pinellas County, with the ability to administer up to 3,000 shots a day if the county receives that much of the vaccine from the state.

With the new vaccination site, the DOH-Pinellas has the ability to vaccinate 19,000 people per week, he said.

Burton added that the county's new registration system has alleviated the need for seniors age 65 and up to call for appointments at the same time, which has caused the registration system to crash and has been a source of frustration to seniors.

With the addition of the Largo site, Burton said it will be easier for residents to make appointments for the vaccine.

To make an appointment, residents age 65 and up should preregister on the CDR Health Pro Patient Portal or call 844-770-8548. When registering, be sure to opt in to receive both email and text alerts when possible.

Instead of having seniors age 65 and up go online or call on a specific day and time, those who have preregistered will be directly notified when a new appointment becomes available. Once the system notifies a resident that an appointment is available, the resident has 48 hours to complete the booking and schedule both the first and second dose of the vaccine.

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Meanwhile, on Thursday Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was on hand for the opening of a pop-up vaccination site at the Mainlands of Tamarac seniors community in Pinellas Park. It will be open three days and provide 3,000 shots to seniors.

Prior to heading to Pinellas Park, DeSantis was on hand at Paradise Island Mobile Home Park in Largo where 94-year World War II veteran Vern Cummings received his first vaccine as part of DeSantis' in home-bound program, which has vaccinated more than 1,000 seniors in their homes.

"We believe he's the two millionth senior to be vaccinated," DeSantis said.

DeSantis said 35 percent of seniors in Pinellas County have gotten at least one shot.

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