Finding out where to get an appointment for COVID-19 vaccines has proven to be difficult. Actually being able to get the vaccine appointment has also been a challenge for many eligible adults across the country. Those of us who live in Florida and aren’t 65 and up still cannot get vaccinated yet. There are so many different forms of information and misinformation, so we’ve compiled a guide on the best practices for you to register and get vaccinated. Pass this information on to those 65 and up who are eligible, help your older parents, or just take this information into account for when it’s your turn.
Firstly, if you don’t have a Twitter account, I suggest creating one because of how often public offices list good quality and quick information on their profiles. Follow the Orange County Florida account on Twitter to find a ton of information regarding Orange County vaccination sites and portals. Next, follow the Orange County Convention Center as well; this is one of the largest and most popular places to receive the vaccine. Another account to follow on Twitter is CDR Maguire, the company that the county has contracted to run the portal for vaccine registrations. I also suggest following Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. They often tweet about various things going on in the Orlando area as well as COVID-19 vaccine updates. If you want more general, statewide vaccine information, it might be a good idea to follow Gov. Ron Desantis.
Keep in mind that the portal to register for a vaccine only opens on certain days for a very short period of time, so you need to be ready and have a stable internet connection. If you took my advice and followed those above on Twitter, you will find that they often inform which times the portal on ocfl.net opens. The portal for the Orange County Convention Center opened at 9 a.m. on Feb. 15 and closed at 9:45 a.m. that same day due to how quickly all of its 6,800 vaccine appointment slots were filled, according to Spectrum News 13. This goes to show how fast and knowledgeable you need to be in order to receive an appointment and how following those listed above on Twitter can help.
You can also pre-register to have your information ready to go before the time slot opens by going to ocfl.net and navigating to the vaccine information tab that will take you to patientportalfl.com, where you can create an account. Once you have created an account, you can register for a vaccine appointment, or you can keep your username and password handy for when you actually choose to register for a faster process.
Walgreens, Walmart, Winn-Dixie, and Publix are also offering the vaccine. Instead of registering through the above methods, you can register through their respective websites. Each different vaccine distributor has its own way of registering, but you can find all of their unique information on each of their websites. For Walgreens, you can sign up for an update on their vaccine distribution or register for their vaccine appointments on their website. You have to make an account for each different distributor, so it’s always a beneficial idea to create one before attempting to actually register for a vaccine appointment. For Walmart, who also offers their vaccine at certain Sam’s Club locations, you don’t have to be a Sam’s Club member to make an appointment. Each distributor offers the vaccine at select locations. The nearest Sam’s Club offering vaccines is the Sam’s Club on Narcoossee Road. The nearest Publix offering vaccines is the one on Cornerstone at Lake Hart on Narcoossee Road.
