MANATEE COUNTY, FL (March 2, 2021) – One year after the first COVID-19 case was discovered in Manatee County, local public health officials will vaccinate their 50,000th patient tomorrow when 2,550 seniors are scheduled to receive their first shots at Tom Bennett Park.
“Manatee County’s Public Safety Department has been working expeditiously to vaccinate seniors in our community,” said Public Safety Director Jake Saur. “I’m pleased that our team has reached this milestone, but we will not let off the gas pedal until all of the seniors in our vaccine standby pool have received their vaccine.”
“We are happy to see so many of our seniors have already been vaccinated and appreciate the patience of those seniors we will get to in the days and weeks ahead,” said DOH-Manatee Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Bencie.
According to the Florida Department of Health, a total of 57,456 Manatee County residents have been vaccinated. Last week the County switched to a new automated booking system. The County's Everbridge notification system notifies randomly selected recipients from the vaccine standby pool with an automated phone call from (941) 742-4300 to schedule an appointment. Names that have been selected will also receive a text message from 88911 and/or an email if you provided a mobile phone number or email address with your registration.
Those who are notified for an appointment should respond quickly. Those who do not respond within two hours will be placed back in the standby pool.
“Because the county is rapidly moving through the vaccine waiting pool it’s imperative, even if you have received the vaccine elsewhere, to answer the prompts so that you can be scheduled or removed from the pool,” Saur said.
When the call or text arrives, seniors will see three options:
- Select 1 if you can attend the scheduled appointment date and time.
- Select 2 if you cannot attend the scheduled appointment date and time. You will be entered back into the standby pool to be selected at another time.
- Select 3 if you have already received the vaccine and/or want to be removed from the standby pool.
After you select one of these options, you will receive a follow-up message via phone, text and/or email confirm your appointment date, time and location. Learn more about the process and view a brief video here.
To enroll in the county’s vaccination pool, visit vax.mymanatee.org or call 311. To remove yourself from the vaccine standby pool call 3-1-1.