How To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine In Miami-Dade County

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL — It's been a slow, sometimes frustrating process rolling out the coronavirus vaccine in Miami-Dade County and much of Florida. The process has been hampered by low numbers of doses being doled out to counties, high demand for the vaccine and technology issues.

Miami-Dade County has been working to add new sites, partnering with the state, local cities and various health care systems to offer the vaccine.

Here are eight things you need to know about getting vaccinated in Miami-Dade County:

1. A new drive-thru vaccination site opened at Marlins Park.

Starting Wednesday, a new drive-thru vaccination site for seniors 65 and older will operate at Marlins Park, located at 501 Marlins Way in Miami. The site will administer vaccines from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily with a goal of 1,000 shots per day.

Appointments are required and walk-ins won’t be accepted. To request an appointment, call 888-499-0840.

2. Baptist Health suspends first-dose vaccinations.

Due to dwindling supply, Baptist Health tweeted Tuesday that it will suspend all first-dose vaccinations. This means all appointments booked Wednesday and later dates are canceled, and they aren’t booking any new appointments.

Those scheduled to receive their second dose in the two-shot series won’t be affected by these supply issues, though.

3. Dwindling supplies could temporarily close Tropical Park, Zoo Miami sites.

With less vaccine doses being delivered to Miami-Dade County, it could affect whether county-run sites at Tropical Park and Zoo Miami are able to remain open. These sites could temporarily close as the county runs out of vaccine doses, the Miami Herald reported.

4. Vaccinations continue to be available through the Hard Rock Stadium.

People 65 and older can also continue to receive a vaccination at the Hard Rock Stadium, located at 347 Don Shula Drive, Miami Gardens.

They’ve tweaked the process slightly, though, moving the vaccination location to the stadium’s Gate 16, separating it from the COVID-19 testing being done at the site, reports said. Enter the stadium on the Northwest 27th Avenue side, turning east onto 199th Street.

Appointments are required and can be made by calling 888-499-0840.

5. Jackson Health now requires proof of U.S. residency.

Jackson Health, the state’s largest public hospital, continues to offer the coronavirus vaccine as doses become available.

It’s updated its policy, though, to require proof of U.S. residency from anyone seeking a vaccination, the Miami Herald reported. Those with vaccination appointments will need to show a U.S. government-issued photo ID.

A spokeswoman for Jackson Health said the hospital system is trying to deter “vaccine tourism.”

Check for vaccine availability at Jackson Health online here.

6. Mount Sinai Medical Center provides vaccines to first responders, and those 65 and older.

The Mount Sinai Medical Center continues to offer vaccines to Miami-Dade County first responders and people 65 and older.

No walk-ins are accepted, but appointments can be made at the Mount Sinai Medical Center website. You can also call 305-674-2312 to schedule an appointment Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or Saturday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

7. The county is expanding its vaccination program for people 65 and older living in public housing.

Miami-Dade County is expanding its efforts to vaccinate seniors in public housing, starting with a visit from the county’s mobile vaccination team to the Senior Campus in Little Havana Wednesday. The city of Miami provided the county with 1,000 vaccine doses from its supply for this clinic.

This mobile team will visit other public housing facilities moving forward as vaccine doses become available. The county is also directly calling residents 65 and older who live in public housing or who receive county services to schedule vaccination appointments.

"Many low-income seniors do not have access to a car," said County Commissioner Eileen Higgins. "It makes no sense for them to go to a vaccine site when we can bring a life-saving vaccine to them, especially in larger apartment buildings managed by Miami-Dade County. We can vaccinate hundreds in a day."

8. The vaccine remains available only to frontline health care workers, those in long-term care facilities, and people 65 and older.

As Florida moves through this first phase of vaccination, the state continues to target three communities: frontline health care workers with direct patient contact, residents and staff in long-term care facilities, and individuals who are 65 and older. Hospitals can also choose to vaccinate those they feel are vulnerable to coronavirus.

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order prioritizing these groups in December.