Heads-up Wednesday for a link to schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments

Michael Ryan, St Johns County Director of Communications, informed Historic City News that all appointments to receive immunization from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) prior to Friday, have been allocated to those on the waiting list compiled by the Department of Health.

The good news is that tomorrow, Wednesday January 6, 2021, we will receive an online link that eligible county residents can use beginning 9:00 a.m. Thursday, January 7th, to make vaccination appointments for Friday, January 8th.

“St. Johns County received the second allotment of 800 vaccines from the State of Florida today,” Ryan told local reporters.  “Additional appointments will become available when we receive more vaccines from the State of Florida.”

Those at the highest risk are eligible to make an appointment Thursday, according to a local Department of Health official.  Governor Ron DeSantis has signed Executive Order 20-315 which outlines that providers can only administer the COVID-19 vaccine to the following groups:

• Long-term care facility residents and staff.
• Persons 65 years of age and older.
• Health care personnel with direct patient contact.
• Persons deemed to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by hospital providers.

For more information or registration assistance, please call the St. Johns County COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 904.295.3711. You must dial all ten digits to reach the hotline. For updates regarding the local COVID-19 vaccination program, please visit www.sjcfl.us/coronavirusvaccinations

If you have not already done so, send the text message “SJCVACCINE” from your smartphone or other mobile device to 888777.

Based on current information and clinical expertise, older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

• People aged 65 years and older.
• People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility.
• People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma.
• People who have serious heart conditions.
• People who are immunocompromised including cancer treatment.
• People of any age with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] >40).
• People with diabetes, renal failure, or liver disease might also be at risk.