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UPDATES ON COVID-19 VACCINATION

January 28, 2021

Media Contact:
Megan McCarthy
DLCHD60PIO@flhealth.gov
352-569-3102

Bushnell, FLA - The purpose of this memo is to update you on the schedule of events and plans concerning mass vaccination activities within Sumter County. 

By the end of this week, the Sumter County Health Department will have called well over 1,000 people to service the appointment list started by Global Medical Response (GMR).  We vaccinated 343 people with confirmed appointments this past Monday and will schedule approximately 300 people for Wednesday and Friday at the Wildwood Community Center. From those calls and appointments, we anticipate we will have vaccinated roughly 950 individuals this week from our 1,000-dose allocation. 

For the week starting January 31st, 2021, the health department will begin the process of completing second dose vaccinations for the people the health department provided primary doses to.  Those vaccinations will be completed, again by reconfirmed appointment, at the Wildwood Community Center on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Some additional primary doses from the GMR appointment list may be provided however, my first obligation is to provide those important second doses to people who are due for them, so we can begin to establish immunity from a community perspective.

Additionally, Department of Health (DOH) vaccination teams will be accessed from the DOH central office in Tallahassee to provide first dose vaccinations on Tuesday, February 2nd, and Thursday, February 4th, at the Wildwood Community Center using the same GMR appointment list we have been using.  From the activities mentioned here and above, we estimate that we will service approximately 2,500 individuals next week for primary vaccination through these DOH activities. 

I know that many of you are concerned about the second round of doses that are coming due from the GMR experience that was completed earlier this month.  Discussions are underway concerning this and the central office of The Florida Department of Health is heavily involved.   When those doses arrive, arrangements will be made for vaccination, and those details will be communicated to you when I have received those doses locally.  Please know that those doses are due to arrive here on Friday, February 5th, 2021. 

Beyond this, the health department will continue its work on completing second doses, vaccinating medical practices in the community, first responders, and addressing the needs of the rural part of the county.  We are also planning to develop additional vaccination opportunities within the county, but that is contingent on an expansion of the number of vaccines we receive (which we are confident will improve over time). 

Please keep in mind that if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, you may choose to temporarily delay vaccination for 90 days following diagnosis, as the risk of COVID-19 re-infection is low during this 90-day time period.  If you receive any other immunization, you should not be vaccinated for COVID-19 for 14 days.  Additionally, the second doses you receive may produce feelings of fatigue or fever for 24 hours.  That is a good sign, in that your immune system is responding to the vaccination. 

Finally, please remember that immunity is not conferred until at least 2-3 weeks after your second dose.  Even at that point, I would medically advise, particularly for those of you who may be medically vulnerable, that you continue to exercise prudence regarding mask usage, avoiding crowds etc., until the overall success of this vaccination initiative from a community perspective (declining hospitalizations and other adverse outcomes), is widely known and understood.

Thank you for your kind support and patience.  My office may be reached at 352-569-3102 if you have questions regarding any of the information provided in this letter. 

Respectfully,

 

Sanford D. Zelnick D.O., M.S.
Director
Sumter County Health Department

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