All Vaccinations In Pasco Claimed; Next Signup Is Jan. 24

PASCO COUNTY, FL — Within hours after opening the registration portal at 2 p.m. Sunday, all 1,800 vaccination appointments available in Pasco County this week were claimed.

The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County is holding four vaccination clinics this week.

Those who didn't get an appointment will have to wait until 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, when the county will release more appointment slots for the week starting Jan. 25.

U.S. Rep Gus Bilirakis, who represents Pasco County, said his office received dozens of phone calls and emails from residents age 65 and up complaining they weren't able to get through the DOH-Pasco's new registration portal to make an appointment to get a vaccine Sunday.

"I know many of you experienced difficulties trying to log in or call for appointments when the system reopened yesterday," he said. "I've shared your feedback with the state and local officials who are running the program. I agree that the system is frustrating, and I know they are working on improving the process. I will keep advocating for you."

Difficulties registering for an appointment isn't the only concern.

Many people are frustrated after spending hours online and on the phone to get an appointment only to be told they're all taken — by people from other states.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's executive order regarding the qualifications for vaccines allows snowbirds and visiting residents age 65 and over to receive vaccines as long as they are staying in Florida long enough to receive the second dose.

Resident Daniel Crowe said more vaccines should be reserved for those under age 65 who have compromised immune systems and are more likely to die if they contract coronavirus.

"I am considered to be a healthy 74, and I am quite willing to wait for my turn to be vaccinated," said Crowe. "But I cannot understand how we can allow those who are more likely to die from COVID-19 to be ignored."

Crowe said he attempted to help a 63-year-old woman who has COPD, Type 2 diabetes and other ailments sign up, and she was rejected because she's not yet 65 years old.

"The governor's executive order regarding vaccinations clearly notes that persons with serious pre-existing conditions were to be considered one of the first to be vaccinated," Crowe said. "So how are these people supposed to have access to vaccinations? I have contacted several health departments regarding this issue without an answer. Now, to add insult to this, I just read that AdventHealth is vaccinating their customers, and only their customers. What gives with that?"

"We got our COVID-19 shot on Jan. 12, and much to our amazement, there were people from out of state getting their first shots," commented another resident on Patch. "This is taking away critical shots from our permanent residents. The governor needs to check this out."

Another commented that license plates of those lined up to receive the vaccine were from Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, New York and Kentucky.

The state DOH said it doesn't have data on how many out-of-state or part-time Florida residents have received the vaccine in Florida but confirmed there are no statewide residency requirements.

“Vaccinating snowbirds, people who live here, rent, own a house, pay taxes, contribute to the economy, they’re eligible. If they get sick while they’re here, they wind up in our hospitals,” said Florida Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz.

He said snowbirds shouldn't have to wait until they return to their home state to get vaccinated.

However, he draws the line at people coming to Florida from other states only to be vaccinated.

“Vaccine tourism is not permitted. It is abhorrent. People should not be flying here to get a vaccine and flying out,” said Moskowitz.

Pasco County Administrator said there would be no problem vaccinating non-residents if the county received the 3,000 to 4,000 doses of vaccine a week it was originally promised.

Biles told county commissioners that the county has 560,000 residents and more than one third are age 65 or older. The 1,800 vaccinations a week the county is currently getting for residents receiving their first shot is inadequate.

“To be honest, the whole region is being shorted,” Biles said. “It’s not just a Pasco issue. It’s a regional issue.”

With distribution sites at Gulfview Square Mall and Saint Leo University, the county now has the ability to administer 4,000 doses a week, said County Commissioner Mike Moore. He noted that, however, at this rate, it would take seven years to vaccinate all Pasco County residents.

Moore said he spoke to Moskowitz who told him the counties aren't receiving the promised amount of vaccines because the federal government is not providing the expected number of vaccines to the state.

See related story: Florida DOH Says It Can't Get Enough Vaccine To Meet Demand

Another hurdle is seniors who are unfamiliar with computer systems are having a difficult time registering for the vaccine, said Biles.

After the system crashed the first week of vaccination registrations, Pasco County, like surrounding counties, hired the national health management company, CDR Maguire: Health & Medical, to register residents age 65 and up.

It's a quicker, easier system, but Biles said residents are still having trouble. He suggested that the county recruit county libraries and senior service departments help sign up seniors for accounts and appointments.

Saint Leo University hosted its first vaccination distribution in East Pasco County on Friday.

Saint Leo’s parking garage was used for the drive-thru vaccination and residents who received vaccinations at the university said they appreciated the smoothness of the process.

“Saint Leo University was proud to help our county health department in serving the residents of East Pasco County, providing quick access to a potentially life-saving vaccine,” said University President Jeffrey D. Senese. “Community’ is one of Saint Leo’s core values, and we thoroughly embrace the idea of helping others. We welcome our Pasco County neighbors and were glad to offer this opportunity to those 65 and older at this time.”

See related story: Limited Number Of Vaccines To Be Distributed Friday At St. Leo U

Anyone 65 and older who needs the coronavirus vaccination must go to the vaccination portal for Pasco County or call 844-770-8548 and create an account with CDR Maguire: Health & Medical.

Everyone is required to have an account with CDR Maguire to register for a vaccination appointment. Those who have already created an account with CDR Maguire will need to log into the patient portal to register for an appointment using the code they received when they created their account.

Residents must have a photo I.D. when checking in for vaccination appointments.

If the online patient portal was used to register for an appointment (instead of calling), those people should bring a printed or digital copy of the confirmation email they received containing a QR code.

For additional information on DOH-Pasco's vaccination operations, visit the DOH-Pasco website.

For frequently asked questions, visit the coronavirus vaccination FAQs webpage.

This article originally appeared on the New Port Richey Patch