Marion County DOH begins vaccination process for seniors

Rae Austin, the Ocala Regional Medical Center pharmacy operations manager, draws the COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe as she prepares the vaccinations for health care workers at the hospital on Wednesday. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

After Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on December 23 saying that Florida residents ages 65 and older would be the state’s priority for administering the COVID-19 vaccine, the Marion County Department of Health announced on Monday that it is just days away from facilitating Marion County’s senior population.

According to a release, the DOH is expecting its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines this week. The signup process for those 65 years and older who would like to receive the vaccine is already underway.

Those who get vaccinated at the health department will be administered the Moderna vaccine, which is a two-shot series, with the second dose being administered 28 days after the first.

Requesting a vaccination can be done by completing a form at https://tinyurl.com/y98cxp6s. For those who don’t have computer access, the Marion County COVID-19 hotline at 352-644-2590 will also be handling requests Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Though, the DOH’s hotline will be closed on December 31 and January 1 in observance of New Years, registration will still be available online.

Per the release, the vaccinations are available on a first come, first serve basis. Once residents have submitted their request, they will be placed in line for a call-back to set an appointment.