Miami Beach has begun to vaccinate some homebound seniors with limited supply
The city of Miami Beach has begun administering COVID-19 vaccines to some older residents living in affordable housing communities or those who are confined to their homes.
Miami Beach Fire Rescue, which received 600 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, began on-site vaccinations Wednesday at the Council Towers North senior affordable housing building, where medics administered 105 vaccines.
On Thursday, 85 residents at Council Towers South and about a dozen home-bound seniors received the vaccine, Mayor Dan Gelber said.
The city’s limited supply, provided by the Florida Department of Health, was officially meant to vaccinate 300 seniors total because two doses are required. Gelber said the state has since instructed the city to use its 600 doses as quickly as possible. That means up to 600 seniors may receive the vaccine. In preparation for the vaccine’s arrival, the city rented an industrial freezer a few months ago to store any vaccines it obtained.
Miami Beach appears to be the only city in Miami-Dade County vaccinating its own residents, Gelber said. The city is not taking appointments. The program will focus on vaccinating as many seniors as possible living in affordable housing buildings and those homebound seniors who have previously registered with the city.
Miami-Dade County seniors interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine should contact Mount Sinai or the Jackson Health System. There is more information available on the county’s dedicated vaccine website, miamidade.gov/vaccine.
Since Dec. 29, the city has transported more than 200 seniors to Mount Sinai Medical Center to get vaccinated.
Gelber said the city prioritized helping seniors receive the vaccination.
“It’s an important group because a lot of them might have more difficulty getting to the hospital,” he said.
In a video message Thursday, Gelber said the federal and state government did not adequately prepare for the rollout of the COVID vaccine.
“Just so you know, our city did prepare,” he said. “Months ago, we rented an industrial refrigerator for storage, and we have trained and qualified all our Fire Rescue and EMTs so that they can deliver the vaccine.”
He estimates that 4,000 Miami Beach residents above 65 years old have received the vaccine so far, mostly from Mount Sinai.
This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 12:22 PM.
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