ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The new COVID-19 booster vaccines aimed at fighting the omicron subvariants hit local pharmacies late last week after final approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Pharmacists at both Walgreens and CVS in Holmes Beach confirmed the updated vaccine is in stock and available.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the new booster is an updated formulation that targets both the original strain and the omicron subvariants, similar to how the flu vaccine is reformulated every year to best defend against the current strains in circulation.
The CDC is recommending that everyone 12 and older get the vaccine, as long as it’s been at least two months since their last vaccine or three months since they have tested positive for COVID-19. Those who have not received any vaccine must get vaccinated with the primary series first – two doses of the original Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two doses of Novavax or one dose of Johnson & Johnson.
The CDC recommends asking your doctor if or when you should get the vaccine, or what the possible side effects are.
While the new COVID-19 subvariants don’t pack the punch of the original, Manatee County COVID community transmission levels have been at medium or high for more than 20 consecutive weeks, with some contracting COVID more than once in a matter of two or three months. While the effects can be deadly, more commonly people miss work and feel generally miserable for a week, longer in some cases.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Florida is poised to begin enforcing the state law banning vaccine “passports” this month, imposing $5,000 fines on schools, government agencies and businesses that require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.
The law, passed during the spring Legislative session, does not restrict screening protocols if they are consistent with government-issued guidance to protect public health.
“I don’t tell people what to do. If you want to be vaccinated, be vaccinated. If you don’t want to be vaccinated, then don’t. The same goes for wearing masks,” said Susan Chully, owner of Beach Life AMI in Bradenton Beach. “I leave it up to individual people. They know the risks and what’s out there so it’s their call,” added Chully, speaking of her business policy on employees and customers.
The fines are on a per-instance basis, meaning that asking a single customer or employee to show proof of vaccination more than once would be subject to the $5,000 fine for each instance.
“What small business owner could afford to take that chance?” asked Shawn Waters, who owns Solo’s Pizza in Holmes Beach. “It’s hard enough to keep your doors open with the lack of workers right now. You’d have to have some deep pockets to afford to take a risk on a bunch of $5,000 fines to get your point across.”
HOLMES BEACH – Manatee County schools, including Anna Maria Elementary School, continue to see a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases.
AME reports two coronavirus cases among students and two students quarantined as of Sept. 3, with 10 total cases since the school year began last month.
No confirmed cases have been reported among staff. Of the 52 schools in Manatee County, AME is one of only five that has seen no staff cases.
The county had 49 student cases and five staff members testing positive, with 178 students quarantined as of Sept. 3. There have been 1,820 COVID-19 student cases countywide and 274 staff cases countywide since Aug. 10.
Manatee County has a mask mandate in place for schools, but it has an opt-out clause that allows parents to send their children to school without a mask if they fill out an online form. While the state outlaws mask mandates and can withhold funds from county school systems that violate the law, Manatee County’s school system is unlikely to lose funding because of the opt-out clause.
COVID-19 procedures in Manatee County schools
All students and employees who are sick or who have symptoms will be sent home until they are symptom-free.
Temperature checks will be taken daily for all employees and randomly for students.
Reinforce and practice proper handwashing techniques among students and staff.
Provide and encourage the use of hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Deep clean and disinfect schools and school buses daily, or in between uses as needed.
Make every effort to social distance as much as possible in schools.
District employees visiting schools, other than their own, must wear masks during the school day.
Provide plastic shields in elementary classrooms and cafeterias where possible.
All employees will answer COVID-related questions daily upon arriving at work.
Limit non-essential visitors and volunteers to school campuses.
Everyone eligible to be vaccinated is strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.
MANATEE COUNTY – If you have a compromised immune system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you have a booster, or third dose, of a COVID-19 vaccine.
To help keep immune-compromised people safe with the novel coronavirus still a threat in the community, the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County is offering additional doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to those who qualify for the booster shot.
The Pfizer vaccine was given full approval by the Federal Drug Administration on Aug. 23.
For more information on who qualifies for a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, please visit the CDC online.
To receive a booster shot from the DOH, you must make an appointment at the Palmetto Bus Station COVID-19 vaccination site by calling 941-242-6646. Appointments are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone receiving a booster shot will need to bring their vaccination card and remain in their vehicle while receiving the shot. The Palmetto Bus Station is at 1802 Eighth Ave. in Palmetto.
Booster shots also are available without an appointment at area Publix pharmacy and Walgreens pharmacy locations.
All vaccines and booster shots are available free of charge.
COVID-19 testing is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, One Haben Blvd. in Palmetto. The site offers both PCR and rapid testing.
Additional Manatee County vaccination and testing sites can be found online.
Monoclonal antibody therapy treatments also are available for anyone age 12 and older who is at high risk for severe illness due to COVID-19. The treatment is shown to help prevent hospitalization and death in high-risk patients and is available free of charge.
Manatee Memorial Hospital also will serve as a local location where eligible people can receive a free monoclonal antibody therapy treatment. For more information or to make an appointment visit the state health department online.
MANATEE COUNTY – A third county employee has died of COVID-19 related symptoms and 41 county employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since early May, according to County Administrator Scott Hopes.
None of the three workers who died were vaccinated, according to the county.
“We’ve had a total of 41 positive cases” from May 3 to July 30, Hopes said during a press conference he held Friday afternoon outside the county administration building in downtown Bradenton.
“We’ve had a total of 105 exposures we’ve identified through contact tracing and we’ve had three deaths. Five of our positive cases in the past couple of weeks have been in fully vaccinated individuals,” Hopes said.
According to the COVID-19 summary report Hopes referenced, three positive cases involved fully vaccinated individuals and two involved partially vaccinated individuals.
Hopes said those 41 cases included involved 16 members of the Utilities Department and five in the Information Technology (IT) Department – including two previously reported IT Department fatalities.
“The largest spread was in utilities. That’s where one of the deaths occurred last week. It was an individual that had been identified by contact tracing. The individual was home on quarantine and became ill rapidly. His spouse is also a utilities worker and found the employee deceased. Subsequently, the spouse has become ill with COVID. They were not vaccinated,” Hopes said, without providing the name of the deceased employee.
“The Utilities Department was one of those areas with a lot of vaccine hesitancy. In addition to that, there was a lot of resistance to wearing masks. That’s why you have so many cases,” Hopes said.
According to Hopes, a planning meeting prior to the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa that included Utilities Department members and representatives from Waste Management and Waste Pro also contributed to an outbreak.
Regarding the IT Department deaths in June, Hopes said, “We finally got the gene sequencing back from the health department, and it was the Alpha variant. Two relatively healthy individuals without comorbidities passed away in that four-day period. That was the Alpha variant and what we’re dealing with today is far, far worse.”
Cases peaking again
“We are seeing case volumes at the levels of the peak last year. The Delta variant is the most prevalent variant. The Delta variant is causing breakthrough infections in individuals that have been vaccinated. We know that there’s a limit to the time with which you’re going to have coverage, and we’re just beginning to realize that we may need to use a booster to give people continuous protection.
Hopes does not anticipate the county requiring its employees to be vaccinated.
“We’re a community of choice. In these departments that have had a large number of cases – and especially when they have a death – we’re seeing an increased desire to get vaccinated. The vaccine works. It worked in the beginning. It still works,” Hopes said.
“This pandemic is not behind us. It is still here. We are in our new normal. This virus has proven to have staying power. We are a thriving community. Our economy is thriving. We cannot let a disease stop that economic growth. It’s here, and quite frankly we know how to minimize the risk of contracting this virus,” Hopes said.
“The county has made available the appropriate masks. That is the known way to mitigate the spread of the virus. We have changed our protocols. We identified why we’re having spread in various departments. We have mitigated that and we have developed new quarantine guidelines in collaboration with the Manatee County Department of Health,” Hopes said.
“But people have to take personal responsibility. Vaccinations work. If you don’t want to be vaccinated, reduce your risk by staying away from people that you know may not be vaccinated. If you’re sick, don’t come to work and don’t come to school. I do believe in the freedom of decision and choice, but I also believe in public health we all have a personal responsibility for ourselves as well as our neighbors,” Hopes said.
Still in the midst of a 10-day potential incubation period for his own exposure to a COVID-positive employee, Hopes said he’s been wearing a face mask when interacting with others inside the county administration building. He also said he’s fully vaccinated.
Latest CDC numbers
According to the CDC website, 21,683 new positive COVID-19 cases were reported in Florida on July 30.
As of Sunday, more than 39,000 Floridians had died of symptoms associated with COVID-19, with 409 deaths reported statewide during the previous seven-day period.
According to the CDC website as of Sunday, 1,547 new COVID-19 cases and fewer than 10 COVID-19 associated deaths were reported in Manatee County during the past seven days. During that seven-day period, positive cases in Manatee County increased by 56%, the percent positive of all those tested increased to 19.86% and there were 98 COVID-19 related hospitalizations.
According to the CDC website, 187,359 Manatee County residents (46.4%) were fully vaccinated as of July 31.
MANATEE COUNTY – With the demand for COVID-19 vaccine first doses lessening, Director of Public Safety Jacob Saur says the county is shutting down its vaccine efforts to focus on the looming hurricane season.
“The county-operated vaccine sites have been extremely successful and I’m proud of the teams of people who helped make Manatee County’s field operation a model for the entire state to follow,” Saur said. “But with the demand for doses declining, the public safety staff who have been coordinating the logistics for our drive-thru operations need to turn their focus toward hurricane season, which begins June 1.”
Manatee County began offering COVID-19 vaccines in late December 2020. Now a drive-up event at the Tom Bennett Park vaccination site will be the final time that Florida residents can get a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from the county, though there are plenty of other vaccination opportunities in the area.
The event is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, April 28 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Bennett Park, 400 Cypress Creek Blvd. in Bradenton. No appointments are required, just drive up and get the shot while remaining in your vehicle. Anyone who attends the drive-up event will have their second shot of the Moderna vaccine at the park on May 26. Anyone who can show proof of Florida residency and is age 18 or older is eligible for a first vaccine dose through Manatee County. Vaccines will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.
Anyone who has already received a first dose of the vaccine at the county-run site and has not been scheduled for a second dose at the Public Safety Center location will receive their second dose approximately 28 days after the first dose at Bennett Park. The Public Safety Center vaccination site is planned to close before the end of April.
Saur said only about 330 people attended the first drive-up vaccination clinic at Bennett Park held April 21, though the county had vaccine doses to distribute to up to 1,000 people.
“As someone who has volunteered, it takes an army to man it,” Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore said of the vaccination site. “This week’s walk-up was dismal. If something changes, I am sure we will reconsider. I am referring to all pharmacies, Health Department and MCR Health.”
As of April 22, about 134,000 people had been vaccinated through the Manatee County vaccination sites so far, with an estimated 161,326 Manatee County residents vaccinated in total. In 2020, the U. S. Census Bureau said that there were 412,119 residents in Manatee County.
“I am concerned that it is soon,” Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said of the vaccination site’s closure. “I do not have enough information to provide a very educated opinion, for example, staffing availability, etc. I would hope that there could be pop-up sites as an alternative throughout the county to reach out to all citizens in need.”
If you can’t make it to the April 28 vaccination clinic but still need your first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, there are still plenty of options available.
The Department of Health in Manatee County will continue booking vaccination appointments into the summer. Call 941-242-6646 to make an appointment. The DOH is located at 410 Sixth Ave. E. in Bradenton.
The DOH also is working with partner organizations to reach those Manatee County residents who are home-bound, migrant workers and others. Any organization interested in partnering with the DOH to distribute COVID-19 vaccines can call 941-748-0747 for more information.
Locally, vaccines also can be obtained through CVS, Publix, Walgreens, Walmart and Winn-Dixie pharmacy locations.
“If they’re not going to give the vaccines anymore they should take the responsibility for continuing to advertise that’s it available elsewhere,” said Cortez resident Mary Green, adding that she adheres to the CDC’s recommendation that vaccinated people continue to wear masks when they’re with other people.
As of April 25, Manatee County has had 37,553 COVID-19 cases and 655 COVID-related deaths.
MANATEE COUNTY – More people are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Manatee County at more distribution sites, but there are also more requirements, depending on your situation.
County officials have opened registration through the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County for people age 16 and older with underlying medical conditions to receive the vaccine. To be eligible, vaccine recipients must first have a physician fill out a determination of extreme vulnerability form with the Department of Health’s logo on it. The form can be downloaded online. To learn what medical conditions qualify, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention online.
To make an appointment at the health department, call 941-242-6646. Vaccine appointments are being made from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Department of Health at 410 Sixth Ave. E., Bradenton. When arriving for an appointment, recipients need a signed copy of the determination of extreme vulnerability form, if applicable, documentation showing proof of Florida residency and a completed vaccination consent form, which can be found online. Second vaccine appointments will be scheduled when the first vaccine is given.
Thanks to a new executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis, seniors age 60 and older are now eligible to receive a vaccination through state, county and private pharmacy distribution sites.
To sign up for a vaccine through Manatee County at the Tom Bennett Park or Public Safety Center sites, visit the county’s vaccine website. Though anyone 60 and older can register with the county, county officials stated in a March 12 press release that the county will continue prioritizing vaccine distribution to those age 65 and older. Once the demand for vaccines lessens with that age group, they’ll move on to registrants age 60 and older.
Anyone age 60 or older with underlying medical conditions and a signed form from their doctor, sworn law enforcement officers age 50 and older, frontline healthcare workers, K-12 and preschool teachers and firefighters age 50 and older can also sign up for a vaccine from private pharmacies including Publix locations, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Winn-Dixie.
Publix is opening registration for vaccine doses at 7 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays online. With two types of vaccines available, anyone signing up for an appointment on Monday or Friday will receive a Moderna two-dose vaccine. People who sign up on Wednesday will receive the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine.
CVS locations in Bradenton and Holmes Beach, as well as other nearby areas, are offering vaccinations. To view availability and book an appointment, visit the pharmacy online.
Walgreens is offering Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at select locations. To book an appointment, visit the pharmacy website.
Select Walmart pharmacy locations also are offering vaccine appointments to eligible individuals. Visit Walmart’s website to see availability and book an appointment.
Vaccine appointments are available through Winn-Dixie at all Bradenton locations and in Palmetto. To book an appointment with Winn-Dixie, visit the grocer’s vaccine website.
While Publix has certain times when appointments become available, all other pharmacy locations release available appointment times as more vaccines become available to them.
MANATEE COUNTY – Good news has emerged for some Floridians with the launch of the state’s COVID-19 vaccine signup website. However, it doesn’t change things for anyone wishing to receive their vaccine doses in Manatee County.
The new Florida state website for vaccine pre-registration invites any resident of the state who is age 65 or older, a resident of a long-term care facility, especially vulnerable to COVID-19 or a healthcare professional with direct patient contact, to register their information on the site. Once registered and when vaccines are available, they’re distributed from the federal government to states and then to different counties, where they’re administered. And while some Florida county governments have chosen to participate in the state registration system, Manatee County currently isn’t among them.
To receive a vaccination in Manatee County, qualified individuals are still required to register through either the senior or healthcare worker/first responder county organized standby pool. The standby pools can be found online or by calling 311 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Information on receiving the vaccine in Manatee County can be found online.
Though Manatee County residents can register through the state system to receive a vaccine in another county, registering in the state system will not give access to a vaccine appointment in Manatee County at this time. Wherever you receive your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is also where you will have to receive the second dose, as vaccine records do not transfer between counties or agencies.
In Manatee County, vaccine recipients are selected at random each week from those registered in the vaccine standby pool. Operators then call those selected to set up an appointment. If someone is selected and not available to answer the phone when 311 operators call, they’ll try one more time before putting the name back in the standby pool and selecting another. Anyone who is unable to book an appointment when called does not need to register a second time in the standby pool as duplicate registrations will be deleted. Couples are allowed to register together and be vaccinated at the same time as long as both people are eligible to receive the vaccine.
There are still more than 100,000 people registered in the county’s standby vaccine pool.
Manatee County officials announced that 5,100 first vaccine appointments were being made available Feb. 2-5 at Bennett Park, 400 Cypress Creek Blvd. in Bradenton, with 1,700 people being vaccinated each day. Recipients of those vaccines were to be notified Feb. 1 by 311 operators.
During a Jan. 26 commission meeting, Manatee County commissioners voted to send a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office asking to be able to open up the vaccine standby pool to those people under age 65 who have a medical condition which makes them more at risk if they contracted the novel coronavirus. After some discussion, commissioners decided to not try to determine which conditions would make someone eligible to receive the vaccination, leaving it to the governor’s office to determine.
MANATEE COUNTY – A new round of vaccines have arrived in Manatee County, prompting 311 operators to start booking appointments for Jan. 14. After these appointments are booked, county officials hope that more vaccines will quickly arrive for distribution but they’re not sure when they’ll get here.
During today’s Manatee County commission meeting, Director of Public Safety Jake Saur reported that 1,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine were received on Jan. 11, with 900 of those earmarked to be distributed to area seniors age 65 and older and 100 set aside to be given to first responders and frontline healthcare workers. Saur said that 311 operators began contacting seniors randomly selected from the standby vaccine pool just after the announcement was made to county commissioners at around 9:10 a.m. with the expectation that all appointments would be filled by 4 p.m. today for distribution on Thursday, Jan. 14 at the Tom Bennett Park drive-thru vaccination location.
As more vaccines are received, Saur said there will be more announcements through social media and other outlets about appointments being booked to alert seniors signed up for the standby pool. Unfortunately, he said the timing and amount of vaccines coming to the county are uncertain and sporadic at this time due to vaccine dose availability.
Seniors signed up through the Manatee County standby pool should look for a phone call from 941-742-4300. If 311 operators call and no one answers the phone, they’ll make one more attempt before putting the person’s name back into the system to be randomly selected again at a future date. If you miss a call from 311 operators, you’re asked to not call back, they’ll call you. If you’ve already registered your information with the standby pool there is no reason to register a second time. Any duplicate registrations will be deleted. If you’re having trouble signing up for the standby pool through the website, you can call 311 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to enter your name in the lottery-style pool.
As of today, Saur said that nearly 60,000 individuals or couples have registered in the COVID-19 vaccination standby pool in Manatee County. Given that some of those registrations are couples who are allowed to register together, he said the number of people in the system is closer to 95,600. Manatee County has more than 100,000 residents at age 65 or older. COVID-19 vaccinations in Manatee County are open to anyone meeting the age requirement regardless of residency. Anyone receiving a first dose of the vaccine in Manatee County must receive the mandatory second dose here as well.
The 1,000 vaccine doses were a surprise with Manatee County officials previously told to not expect any first doses this week. Some first responders and frontline healthcare workers who received their first dose of the vaccine in December were already scheduled to begin receiving second doses at the Public Safety Center in east Bradenton on Jan. 13.
To date, Saur said 5,437 vaccines had been administered in Manatee County at either the Bennett Park or Public Safety Center vaccination site. Currently, these are the only two vaccination sites open in Manatee County, though Saur said if needed there are plans to open a third site. Director of Development Jim McDaniel said in an email to The Sun that he’s also volunteered The Center of Anna Maria Island’s Magnolia Avenue campus in Anna Maria as a potential future vaccination site for the county.
With the federal government announcing today that a push is moving forward to have states release the vaccine doses held back to guarantee second vaccines for those people who’ve already received a first one, Saur said he’s unsure of how things will progress now at Manatee County run vaccination sites. He added that he still plans for anyone who’s received a first vaccine dose from the county to be able to receive a second vaccine dose here. Saur said that there is a three- to four-day window for people to receive a second vaccine around the 21- or 28-day recommendation. Pfizer vaccines require the second dose to be administered 21 days after the first dose while Moderna vaccines require the second dose to be administered 28 days after the first dose.
Area seniors can expect to receive a phone call from 311 operators a week before their second dose is due to book an appointment. Saur said that current plans are to administer the second doses at the Public Safety Center with the ability to administer two days worth of second dose vaccines in one day.
Manatee County officials will never ask for any financial information when booking a vaccine appointment. Vaccines received by the county are available to the public free of charge.
MANATEE COUNTY – Everyone over age 65 in Manatee County now has a new way to sign up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine with the launch of the county’s new lottery-style system.
The new system was announced during an emergency county commission meeting and was launched on Jan. 7. Rather than seniors scrambling to receive an appointment on a first-come, first-served basis as vaccine doses become available, now they enter their names into a standby pool where recipients are randomly chosen for an appointment as more doses are received by the county.
To get in line to receive a vaccine appointment, seniors can sign up one of two ways – by visiting the county’s website at any time or by calling 311 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
To register, seniors must provide their name, contact information, zip code and birth month and year to verify their age. There are no residency requirements to receive a vaccine in Manatee County, however the two vaccines currently being administered, those made by Moderna and Pfizer, require two separate vaccinations administered a few weeks apart. The Moderna vaccine requires 28 days between doses while the Pfizer vaccine requires 21 days between doses. Anyone receiving the first vaccine in Manatee County must also receive the second one in the county.
Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur said that the first evening the new vaccine standby pool sign up was available to the public, over 18,000 people entered their names in the pool with more than 30,000 signed up by the end of the next day.
During a Jan. 6 meeting with Manatee County commissioners, Saur said that the previous method of scheduling vaccines, using a first-come, first-served signup process through Eventbrite, was causing frustration for people trying to sign up for appointments and crashing both the Eventbrite and Manatee County websites due to increased traffic. By instituting the standby pool, he said that it will take the pressure off to sign up. Because recipients are chosen at random, there’s no need to rush to try to be first in line. As vaccines become available, 311 operators call those seniors randomly selected to schedule an appointment. Seniors should look for a call from 941-742-4300. If the person can’t make their appointment or doesn’t answer their phone, their name goes back into the selection pool and operators move on to the next person, so if you’ve signed up for a vaccine appointment, it’s important to remember to answer your phone.
To receive a vaccine, patients will have to provide a form of photo identification at the vaccination distribution site to prove their age. They also must provide their vaccination confirmation number, which will be given by 311 operators when making an appointment, and a copy of their completed vaccine consent form which can be downloaded here. If you don’t have access to a printer, a copy of the form will be provided to you at the vaccination site for completion before a vaccine can be administered.
Gov. Ron DeSantis visited the county vaccination site at Bennett Park, 280 Kay Road in Bradenton, for a press conference on Jan. 7 to praise the efforts being made by Manatee County leaders to administer as many vaccines as possible to first responders, frontline medical professionals and seniors age 65 and older. DeSantis announced that since Manatee County’s vaccination efforts were going so well, he would release an additional 500 vaccine doses to the county. Saur said those doses were fully booked using the new lottery process by noon the following day.
An update on the county’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts is expected during the Jan. 12 county commission meeting.
MANATEE COUNTY – While the process to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment has changed to a new lottery-style system, the process for receiving your first dose of the vaccine once you score an appointment remains the same.
The Sun rode along with Sylvia Swain while she received her first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine Jan. 6 at the Manatee County Bennett Park vaccination site. The entire process took about 90 minutes to complete and here’s what local seniors can expect when they arrive for their first dose of the vaccine.
The Bennett Park site is a drive-thru vaccination site where recipients are asked to remain in their vehicles the entire time unless otherwise directed by onsite medical personnel.
When entering the facility, vaccine recipients are directed through several different checkpoints before they receive the vaccine dose. The first checkpoint is at the entrance where the recipient’s vaccine appointment is confirmed and their photo identification checked for name and age verification. Recipients are required to have a valid, government-issued photo identification and either a copy of their appointment confirmation or the confirmation number.
Upon entering the park, drivers are divided into two vehicle lanes where vaccine recipients have their temperature checked and have to show a completed copy of the COVID-19 vaccine screening and consent form, which can be found online. For anyone without a completed form, a blank form is provided at this point to fill out before moving forward. Vaccine recipients are asked to turn over their completed forms to onsite healthcare workers and are given their vaccine cards, a document that shows when and where the vaccine dose was administered. The vaccine card is required to be kept and will need to be presented to onsite healthcare workers when receiving a second vaccine dose.
Once all of the paperwork is done, recipients move forward to receive the vaccine dose.
“That was quick,” Swain said upon receiving the vaccine. Though she said she didn’t feel any discomfort when receiving the vaccine, the following day she said her arm was sore and she felt a bit tired, though the symptoms dissipated within a few hours. She added that she felt better personally about her health following receipt of the vaccine and that she’s looking forward to receiving the second dose.
After receiving the vaccine, recipients move on to a field where they park their vehicles and wait 15 minutes to see if they have any adverse reactions to the vaccination. Anyone with a history of allergic reactions to vaccines may be asked by healthcare workers to wait for 30 minutes before being dismissed.
Once the wait time is up, you’re free to go, at least for the next few weeks.
The Moderna vaccine, the one currently being administered in Manatee County, requires two doses given 28 days apart, though county Public Safety Director Jake Saur said that there’s a window of about three to four days on either side of the 28 days to administer the final dose of the vaccine.
To receive the second dose of the vaccine, recipients must receive it in Manatee County. About a week before your second vaccine appointment, 311 operators will contact you at the phone number you provide when signing up. Seniors should look for a call from 941-742-4300. Saur said that the first contact will most likely be by text and that operators will call anyone who doesn’t confirm their second vaccine appointment by text.
While the first vaccine doses are currently being administered at Bennett Park in Bradenton, the second dose is planned to be administered to eligible recipients at the Department of Public Safety. And though there is a shortage of available vaccine doses coming from federal to state and then to local sources, Saur said that the second vaccine dose is guaranteed to recipients who’ve already received a first dose from Manatee County.
Updated 1/4/21 – Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur announced that 1,400 vaccine doses had been received by the county for distribution to seniors age 65 and older and front line healthcare workers. Of those doses, 1,200 will be available to seniors to book appointments online for Jan. 5 and 6 at 2 p.m. on Jan. 4. Seniors without computer access can also dial 311 ext. 1 to book over the phone with a county operator. Saur warns that 311 staff is limited so it’s better to try to book vaccine appointments online if possible.
Anyone with medical questions concerning the vaccine should contact their primary care physician or the Manatee County Health Department.
Front line healthcare workers seeking a vaccine can go to the Bennett Park site on Jan. 5 and 6 between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. to receive their first COVID-19 vaccination. Workers must have a copy of their state healthcare license and be able to prove that they work in direct contact with patients in order to receive a vaccine.
MANATEE COUNTY – More than 1,000 seniors age 65 and older in the county have received COVID-19 vaccinations as of Jan. 2, according to the county’s social media page. Any senior who didn’t receive a vaccination appointment in the first round will have another chance to try for an appointment beginning at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 2.
In a Dec. 29 briefing, Manatee County officials discussed receiving 3,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine to be distributed beginning on Dec. 30 and continuing through Jan. 4 to seniors, first at the Manatee County Department of Public Safety and then at Bennett Park. Those appointments filled up within minutes, leaving many seniors wondering when they could receive the vaccine. Information Outreach Manager Nicholas Azzara said that as available vaccine numbers dwindle to 500 or less, more shipments of the vaccine will come to Manatee County for distribution.
To sign up for one of the vaccine appointments released Jan. 2, visit the county website to fill out the Department of Health COVID-19 screening and consent form. Both forms can be filled out in advance and need to be printed and taken to your vaccine appointment. Visit the site at 2 p.m. on Jan. 2 to book your vaccine appointment.
Vaccine appointments are available to anyone age 65 and older. There is no residency requirement, however, the Moderna vaccine requires two doses with the second one to be received 28 days after the first one. Anyone receiving the first vaccine dose in Manatee County must also receive the second dose in Manatee County. Vaccine records do not transfer.
To receive the vaccine, patients must provide photo ID, present their screening results and provide a copy of their appointment reservation. All vaccinations provided by Manatee County are given free of charge.
Currently, vaccines are being distributed in a drive-thru location at Bennett Park, 280 Kay Road in Bradenton. When getting a vaccine, patients are advised to not leave their vehicle unless requested to by onsite medical personnel.
If unable to get a vaccine appointment on Monday, Azzara asks people to be patient and continue to monitor the county’s website for the release of upcoming appointments. You can also sign up for email alerts.
Updated July 5 – HOLMES BEACH – The Manatee County Health Department has identified a case of Hepatitis A in a food service worker in Holmes Beach.
Following laboratory confirmation on July 1, the department immediately began conducting an epidemiological investigation and determined that the individual worked at The Ugly Grouper restaurant, 5704 Marina Drive, while infectious.
The worker is recovering, The Ugly Grouper General Manager Thad Treadwell said, adding, “He thought he had the flu,” but tested positive at the hospital.
“With the outbreak that’s going on, you could get it anywhere,” he said.
Another case of Hepatitis A was confirmed by the Florida Department of Health (DOH) in a food service worker at Sandpiper Grille in Sun City Center in March.
Since January 2019, 1718 cases of Hepatitis A have been reported in Florida, an increase reflecting national trends, with more than 20,000 cases identified nationwide, according to DOH, which recommends vaccination as the best protection.
Fewer than 5% of Hepatitis A cases are food service workers, and no cases of Hepatitis A transmission from a food worker to a restaurant patron have been documented, according to DOH.
The Manatee County Health Department offers free vaccines, with the next vaccine clinic on Saturday, July 6 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the main office, 410 Sixth Ave. E. in Bradenton. Beginning next week, the vaccine will be available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the health department.
Ugly Grouper statement
The Ugly Grouper released this statement on Friday, July 5:
“On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 2nd 2019, The Ugly Grouper was notified by the Manatee County Health Department of a positive test of Hepatitis A in a member of our serving staff. Thankfully, that team member has been treated and we wish them a speedy recovery at home. At The Ugly Grouper, we take food safety very seriously. As a precautionary measure, on that same evening, we instituted a 12-hour deep cleaning process of the entire restaurant. The following morning at 10 a.m., the Health Department confirmed our current practices meet all cleanliness and operational compliance standards. Vaccinations were also offered to the entire staff by the Health Department, which were accepted by all to ensure the continued safety of our staff and patrons… The Ugly Grouper on average serves over 750 customers daily, and would like to thank all of the loyal fans of The Ugly Grouper who understand our commitment to high quality and superior service. With everyone’s support, we will continue to be one of the fastest growing and best destinations for tourists and locals on Anna Maria Island. If there are any follow up questions, please direct them to our general manager, Thad Treadwell, at ttreadwell@uglygrouper.com.”
Hepatitis A vaccines were given Friday at Anna Maria Elementary School. – Bob Alexander | Sun
What to do if you are exposed
The Manatee County Health Department advises anyone who patronized The Ugly Grouper prior to June 22 and had not previously been vaccinated for Hepatitis A to consider being vaccinated at the Manatee County Health Department or primary care physician’s office. You will receive the first dose of the vaccine, with a second dose being administered six months later. If you have previously received the Hepatitis A vaccine, you do not need to take additional action.
The health department offers free vaccines, with the next vaccine clinic on Saturday, July 6 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the main office, 410 Sixth Ave. E. in Bradenton. Beginning next week, the vaccine will be available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the health department.
The Hepatitis A vaccine may provide protection against the disease if given within two weeks after exposure. Patrons should monitor for symptoms of Hepatitis A infection which include sudden onset of abdominal discomfort, dark urine, fever, diarrhea, pale white stools and yellow skin and eyes (jaundice). Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention promptly.
A hotline has been set up for people who have questions about Hepatitis A at 941-708-5951.
People who should be vaccinated include:
All children at age one year
People who are homeless
Users of recreational drugs, whether injected or not
Men who have sexual encounters with other men
People with direct contact with others who have Hepatitis A
Travelers to countries where Hepatitis A is common
People with chronic or long-term liver disease, including Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C
People with clotting-factor disorders
Family and caregivers of adoptees from countries where Hepatitis A is common
Hepatitis A treatment, prevention
Besides vaccination, practicing good hand hygiene plays an important role in preventing the spread of Hepatitis A, according to the health department.
Wash hands after using the bathroom — alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not kill the Hepatitis A virus. Use soap and running water and wash for at least 20 seconds, wash hands after changing a diaper or caring for a person, and wash hands before preparing, serving or eating food.
No medicines can cure the disease once symptoms appear. People with Hepatitis A symptoms should seek medical care immediately.
Most people get better over time but may need to be hospitalized.
Previous infection with Hepatitis A provides immunity for the rest of a person’s life.
People who are exposed to Hepatitis A may be given vaccine or immune globulin within 14 days of exposure to prevent infection.
How Hepatitis A is investigated
After a case of Hepatitis A has been reported to the health department by a health care provider, a county health department epidemiologist will interview the individual and collect information regarding the timeline of their past 50 days, including travel, occupation, food history and more. The epidemiologist will then identify all close contacts of the ill person who should receive the Hepatitis A vaccine to prevent any possible spread of the illness.
The majority of cases are close contacts of persons who are experiencing homelessness, or persons who use injected or non-injected drugs.
To receive a vaccination in Manatee County, qualified individuals are still required to register through either the senior or healthcare worker/first responder county organized standby pool. The standby pools can be found 
