Florida residents who want a COVID vaccine can now pre-register online and by phone
Seniors 65 and older and people with health conditions that make them extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 can now “save their place in line” by pre-registering for the vaccine in Florida through a new website and phone system.
Healthcare workers with direct patient contact and long-term care residents and staff can also pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The new website is myvaccine.fl.gov. You can also pre-register by phone. To find the designated number for your county, visit floridahealthcovid19.gov.
Anyone who pre-registers for a vaccine appointment will be notified when slots become available at state-supported vaccination sites in their county, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which is tasked with the state’s vaccine distribution. Once you get an appointment, you will need to show proof that you are a Florida resident.
Florida residents who do not meet the priority criteria can also sign up to receive email updates to learn when they will be eligible to receive the vaccine.
How to pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida?
If you’re using the website, those who are eligible to get the vaccine can pick the county in which they want to be vaccinated. You will be asked to fill out some basic information, including name, email, phone number and whether you need the first or second dose. You can also pick if you prefer being contacted by phone, text or email when an appointment becomes available.
For those in Miami-Dade County who don’t have internet access or would prefer to schedule an appointment by phone, you can call 888-499-0840 or TTY 888-256-8918. For Broward County, call 866-201-6313 or TTY 844-252-2003. For the Florida Keys, call 866-201-7069 or TTY 833-990-2908. For Palm Beach County, call 866-201-6754 or TTY 833-476-1532.
“Vaccine supply remains limited and appointments may not be available for several weeks in some counties,” the Florida Division of Emergency Management said in a news release.
For those under 65 with health conditions that make them “at risk,” you might get a message when you pre-register that says appointments are only being scheduled for people 65 and older and that you’ve been signed up for email updates. The state says this is because the system is only collecting information on who wants to get the vaccine for now and is still working on ways to connect hospitals with pre-registered individuals who have “at risk” conditions.
The website also shows you a list of state-supported sites by county.
In Miami-Dade County, the two sites that appear Friday morning are Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and Marlins Park in Miami. In Broward County, some of the sites that appear include Coral Square Mall in Coral Springs, Vista View Park in Davie and Snyder Park in Fort Lauderdale. As of Friday morning, no state-supported sites are listed for Palm Beach or Monroe counties. Palm Beach and Monroe residents can try to schedule an appointment through Publix Wednesday at publix.com/covid-vaccine/florida.
Miami-Dade is also planning to launch a similar website and phone system, possibly next week, that will allow people 65 and over to pre-register for a vaccination appointment at county-run sites like Tropical Park and Zoo Miami.
I’ve pre-registered for the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida. What if I get a spot elsewhere?
Currently, the website will not allow you to cancel your vaccination request though this may change in the future. If you pre-register through the state’s website and change your mind because a vaccination appointment opened up with a hospital, Publix or a county-run site like Tropical Park or Zoo Miami, go ahead and get vaccinated.
All you have to do afterward is call the designated number for the county you pre-registered with and let them know to cancel your appointment or take you off the wait list status. Remember, phone numbers can be found at floridahealthcovid19.gov.
What if your Florida county hasn’t signed up for the state’s new pre-registration system?
If your county does not have any state-run sites listed, you can still sign up for the wait list to be notified when a site becomes available. Keep in mind that the website is an opt-in system open to all 67 counties. This means your county needs to sign up with the state to be included in the system.
Manatee County, for example, will not be opting in. Instead, people should visit vax.mymanatee.org to register or call 311 to have a county employee help sign you up for the vaccine standby pool.
However, while there is a state residency requirement, there is no county requirement. That means someone who lives in Miami-Dade or Monroe can pre-register to get the vaccine in Broward, or vice versa.
The government of Lee County and its health department tweeted about the online registration system late Thursday and described it to be a soft launch. Florida did not officially announce the new website until shortly before 11 a.m. Friday.
Bradenton Herald staff writer Jessica Leon contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 11:01 AM.
