Manatee County begins vaccinating 60 and older, expands vaccine registration to 55 and over

Manatee County begins vaccinating 60 and older, expands vaccine registration to 55 and over
Posted on 03/18/2021

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (March 18, 2021) – Manatee County has begun vaccinating seniors ages 60 and over and will expand its standby pool registration to patients 55 and over. This update comes after nearly all patients ages 65 and older who registered for the standby pool have now been vaccinated.

Manatee County will not vaccinate anyone younger than 60 until directed by Governor DeSantis, but will allow them to register in the standby pool.

Anyone age 55 and over can enroll in the County’s new online registration system by going to vax.mymanatee.org or by calling Manatee County’s call center at 311.

As of March 17, nearly 75,000 patients have received at least a first dose of the vaccine through a Manatee County operated vaccination site. Manatee County has contacted everyone 65 and up in their standby pool at least one time and now will start vaccinating newly eligible patients 60 and over.

“We are having a large number of people decline their appointment or tell us they’ve been vaccinated elsewhere,” said Public Safety Director Jacob Saur. “That’s why I want to encourage anyone 60 and older to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine with Manatee County and we should be getting a shot in your arm very quickly.”

Manatee County COVID-19 vaccine appointment notifications will come from a number familiar to those already in the County’s standby pool: (941) 742-4300. (Those who enroll for text notifications will receive updates from 88911.) Anyone enrolling in the County’s standby pool should program that number in their phones, so the call does not appear as Spam.

It is important to reply to the call or text as quickly as possible since appointments will go to those who respond promptly. After you select one of the options, you will receive a follow-up message via phone, text and/or email confirming your appointment date, time and location. Learn more about the process and view a brief video here.