Pinellas Residents Age 65+ Reminded To Register For Vaccine Appointments

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Pinellas residents 65 and older can sign up to be contacted for available COVID-19 vaccine appointments by creating an account at www.patientportalfl.com.

Friends and family are encouraged to help those without internet access or other technology barriers sign up for appointments, which are scheduled at public sites located throughout the county.

Signing up online is the best way to preregister, but residents can also create an account by calling 844-770-8548.

As vaccine supply is available, seniors who are preregistered in the portal will be contacted by text message or email to schedule appointments for first and second doses. Those who do not have a mobile number or email address should ask a friend or family member to sign up on their behalf with their contact information; if this is not possible, leave whatever contact information you have and you will be contacted.

Appointment invites are sent based on the order of sign-ups in the portal; with more than 100,000 people over 65 already preregistered, it may take weeks or even months before new or recent sign-ups are contacted depending on the amount of available vaccine supply from the State of Florida.

Local pharmacies, including Publix, Walmart and Sam’s Club are also offering vaccines to Pinellas seniors. Each pharmacy chain is offering their own appointment system. Check pharmacy websites for availability.

About 20,000 people a week are receiving first and second doses in Pinellas through sign-ups on the patient portal at sites operated by the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County and Pinellas Fire Paramedic crews. Residents are reminded to show up at their appointment on time, but not early, as arriving ahead of schedule can slow down the vaccine process.

To date, more than 127,000 people have received a first or second dose of the vaccine in Pinellas County, and the county is leading the state for vaccinating the most vulnerable residents at long-term care facilities.

In addition to the public sites and pharmacies, the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas is hosting targeted vaccine events in underserved communities to ensure greater health equity across the county. For detailed information about the latest vaccine availability in Pinellas, visit https:// covid19.pinellascounty.org/vaccines.