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State Redistributes COVID Vaccine Doses From Local Sites To FEMA Locations

Florida Department of Health / Pinellas County

The FEMA sites were expected to close April 28, but will now close on May 26. To keep these sites open, the sites will utilize state vaccine allocations, the Florida Department of Emergency Management said.

Florida’s four federally supported COVID-19 vaccination sites will stay open an additional four weeks after receiving extra doses from the state’s supply originally slated for county and local sites.

The sites were expected to close April 28, but will now close on May 26. To keep these sites open, the sites will utilize state vaccine allocations, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said.

Each of the four FEMA sites in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and Miami will be able to administer 3,000 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine per day.

"To make this change, Gov. Ron DeSantis directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Florida Department of Health to allocate state vaccine allocations to these federal sites," the Division of Emergency Management said Monday.

The state is anticipating increased demand when the eligibility age lowers next week to ages 18 and older, and 16- and 17-year-olds with parental consent.

Vaccinations became available to Floridians age 40 and over this week. Location sites report demand to be soft at many locations.

I’m the online producer for Health News Florida, a collaboration of public radio stations and NPR that delivers news about health care issues.
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