Which South Florida vaccine sites make you wait for a second-dose call — and which don’t?
Securing a COVID-19 vaccine appointment is complicated. There’s a lot of competition to snag a spot. And supply is limited.
The actual vaccination process can be smooth and quick, like at Jackson Health System, Miami-Dade County’s public hospital network. It can also take several hours if it’s at a drive-thru site like Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Marlins Park in Miami or one of the many drive-thru sites in Broward County.
And then comes the second-dose challenge.
Some sites schedule your booster shot the day you get your first injection. Others say you need to wait for someone to contact you about scheduling your second appointment. Cue the nerve-wracking wait.
If you’re confused about what the plan at each site is, here’s a breakdown to help you out. Keep in mind that some sites may appear in multiple sections because they have different policies, depending on when your first appointment was booked.
South Florida COVID-19 vaccine sites that make you wait for second-dose appointments
Some vaccination sites do not confirm your second-dose appointment on-site after receiving your first shot. Instead, you need to wait for an employee to contact you about scheduling your booster shot. That could take about two weeks.
This applies to any appointments booked through Miami-Dade County’s online portal miamidade.gov/vaccine or by phone at 305-614-2014. County-run sites include Tropical Park, Zoo Miami and Miami Dade College North campus.
The county says this is because it doesn’t know the exact date when second dose shipments will arrive because supply comes from the state. Instead, it waits to have vaccines in stock before scheduling appointments.
The wait-to-be-contacted process also applies for appointments booked in Broward County through myvaccine.fl.gov or by calling 866-201-6313 or TTY 844-252-2003. The sites in Broward managed by the Florida Department of Health include Vista View Park in Davie, Markham Park in Sunrise and Snyder Park in Fort Lauderdale. For a full list, visit myvaccine.fl.gov, select Broward County and click “Get in Line.”
South Florida COVID-19 vaccine sites that schedule second dose on site
The following locations schedule your second-dose appointment on-site after you get your first dose.
▪ Jackson Health System — To check for available first-dose slots, https://jacksonhealth.org/keeping-you-safe/
▪ Publix — All of the stores in the Keys and Palm Beach County offer vaccines by appointment. Stores in Miami-Dade and Broward do not offer vaccines. To check for first-dose slots, visit publix.com/covid-vaccine/florida.
▪ Winn-Dixie and Fresco y Más — Winn-Dixie stores in the Keys and a Fresco y Más store in Miami-Dade offer vaccines. To check for first-dose slots at Winn-Dixie, visit winndixie.com/pharmacy/covid-vaccine. For Fresco y Más, visit frescoymas.com/pharmacy/covid-vaccine.
▪ Walmart and Sam’s Club — Some Walmart stores in Broward and Miami-Dade offer vaccines. A Sam’s Club store in Sunrise also has vaccines. To check for first-dose appointments at Walmart, visit walmart.com/COVIDvaccine. For Sam’s Club, visit samsclub.com/covid.
Tip: Florida has a residency requirement but not a county requirement. This means a Miami-Dade or Broward resident can book a slot at any vaccination site in Palm Beach or Monroe counties or vice versa.
▪ Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and Marlins Park in Miami — To get on the wait list for a first-dose appointment, visit myvaccine.fl.gov/. You can also call 866-201-6313. For TTY, call 844-252-2003.
The in-betweeners
These vaccination sites have different policies depending on when you received your first dose.
▪ Hard Rock Stadium — For those who received a first dose before the stadium’s on-site booster shot scheduling system went live Feb. 17 and have not received a call about the second dose, pay attention. You can return to the site for the second injection if it’s been at least 21 days since your first shot.
▪ Marlins Park —For those who received the first dose before the stadium’s on-site booster shot scheduling system went live Feb. 17 and have not been contacted about the second dose, call the designated help line for Miami-Dade County 833-540-2065. Your other option is to visit myvaccine.fl.gov, fill out the form for Miami-Dade, and in the box that say, “Are you seeking your first dose?” select, “No, I am seeking my second dose,” from the drop-down menu.
For those who opt to fill out the online form, the state says you should be contacted within 48 hours to schedule the second dose. If you are not contacted and it is past the date listed on your vaccination card, visit Marlins Park at any time during operational hours to receive the second shot. Tip: Go at the same time as your first appointment to make sure the site is open.
▪ Publix — Booster shots are scheduled for the same location you received your first dose. But, if you want to get your second dose at another Publix store, you need to use the online portal again to book a slot.
▪ Florida Department of Health in Broward County — Second-dose appointments used to be given right after an individual received the first dose. That process changed in late January. If you booked your first dose at myvaccine.fl.gov or by calling 866-201-6313 or TTY 844-252-2003, the state will contact you to schedule your second dose.
If you received your first dose and have not been called to schedule your booster shot, you can return to the same site if it’s been at least 21 days since your first shot. You must return at the same time of your first appointment. To see the full list of sites this applies to, visit myvaccine.fl.gov, select Broward County and then click “Get in line.”
This story was originally published February 19, 2021 at 11:15 AM.
