MANATEE COUNTY – Florida residents 18 or older can now register for the COVID-19 vaccine pool in anticipation of the state lowering the age requirement for the vaccine.
Full-time and part-time residents who can prove residency and are 18 or older can register through the county’s online portal or by calling 311 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
While the county is not yet assigning appointments for vaccines to anyone under age 50, county officials are encouraging all adults to register to begin receiving appointments as soon as Gov. Ron DeSantis lowers the age requirement for all adults to receive a vaccine.
DeSantis lowered the age to receive a vaccine to 50 on March 22, with a plan to open vaccine distribution to all adult Floridians by May 1.
With the number of Florida residents who have received a COVID-19 vaccine going up and the number of people waiting in the county’s vaccine standby pool going down, Public Safety Director Jacob Saur said he feels COVID-19 vaccine doses can be quickly administered to those registered with the county.
Saur said everyone in the Manatee County standby pool age 65 and older has been contacted at least once to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, Saur said county staff began contacting those 50 and older in the standby pool on March 19 for appointments for the 16,400 first dose vaccines being received by the county for distribution the week of March 22.
For more information, visit the county’s vaccine page online.
