| Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Sarasota County Department of Health began accepting appointments for 800 available sites for the COVID-19 vaccine Sunday afternoon.
The country made the announcement around 3pm, about 30 minutes before the appointment system opened, and made the appointment places available online only.
By 4:15 all the slots were gone.
Sunday’s rapid turnaround reflected what had happened in the area over the past week as the COVID vaccine became available to people aged 65 and older.
Sarasota received 3,500 doses of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine on Tuesday morning, and when it became available locally, it was quickly eaten away.
There were similar problems in Manatee County. The state also provided Manatee with 3,500 doses of Modner vaccine, and appointments were made today.
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Shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday, less than 24 hours before vaccinations were to begin at the Bradenton Public Safety Center, the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County announced that it had already reached capacity for the number of shots available.
The shortage of available places has left people angry and frustrated.
Libraries and health departments are available to help people who are having problems with the online system. And Goodwill Manasota has two business workers helping seniors spend some time on their main campus in US 301.
For the time being, vaccinations are limited to leading health workers and people aged 65 and over. Those who get the shot must stay in the country for 28 days to get the second round of the vaccine.
In Sarasota, vaccinations take place in the William L. Little Health and Human Services Building at 229 Ringling Blvd. in Bradenton.
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