A walk-up COVID vaccination site has opened in Opa-locka. Here are the details
Florida residents have another COVID vaccine option in North Miami-Dade as the City of Opa-locka is providing 200 vaccines per day to qualified Florida residents.
The site is at the Helen Miller Center, 2331 NW 143rd St., operated by NoMi Health and reporting to Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, with help from federal funding.
“We’re just happy to see that, now that vaccines are widely available and distributed, Opa-locka is getting its just allocation,” Mayor Matthew Pigatt said. “The purpose of the site is an option to get vaccinations in neighborhoods that may not have been getting it in the past.”
Pigatt said city officials plan to go door to door, handing out fliers to spread the word.
State data released in late January showed that only 2% of the population in Opa-locka had received a COVID vaccine, far lower than Miami-Dade’s wealthiest neighborhoods. The city is majority Black and about 40% of its residents live in poverty, according to Census data.
The state has not released more recent vaccination data by ZIP code.
The nuts and bolts of the site:
Where is it?
The Helen Miller Center, 2331 NW 143rd St.
Who qualifies to be vaccinated?
Florida residents 50 and over; healthcare providers with work identification; and anyone with a filled out Department of Health COVID-19 Vulnerability Assessment Form.
Do you need to have health insurance?
No, the vaccine is free.
When is the site open?
9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.
Appointments necessary?
No, but organizers suggest registering at the Commvax website before coming.
Which vaccine shot is available?
The two-shot Pfizer vaccine. And, if you’ve received the first of the two Pfizer shots at a FEMA site, you can get the second shot here.
How long will it remain open?
“As long as people take advantage of it,” Pigatt said.
This story was originally published March 24, 2021 at 1:20 PM.
