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PHOTO/METRO
Distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine will soon get underway in Osceola County with hospital workers and nursing home residents to be among the first recipients.
Like all of Florida’s 67 counties, Osceola is following distribution guidelines from the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By the end of the month, all residents of long-term healthcare facilities will have received the two-dose regimen with the help of the Florida National Guard, said Osceola County Emergency Management Director Bill Litton.
After that, the focus will be on vaccinating people over the age of 60 and those with underlying health conditions as well as law enforcement officers and emergency responders, he said.
“It’s a very similar process throughout the state. We’re all focused on the same methods,” he said.
So far, Florida has received about 180,000 doses, which are being distributed by five regional hospital systems, including AdventHealth Orlando. The hospitals were chosen in advance because they are equipped with the requisite below-freezing storage containers.
About 97,500 have gone to the hospitals, 60,500 to long-term healthcare facilities and 21,550 to state-run local health departments.
Widespread distribution to the general population is expected to begin in late February or early March in Phase 2.
The main point of distribution will be at Osceola Heritage Park, the county’s convention center and largest COVID-19 testing site, Litton said. Other distribution points will be set up in churches and community centers throughout Osceola.
“We’ve had some great community partners help us get testing to folks in places like Poinciana and other communities where transportation can be an issue,” he said. It’ll be one of the biggest undertakings our community has ever seen.”
Administration of the vaccine comes as cases continue to rise throughout the state, including in Osceola.
“We’re seeing an increase in documented cases and community transmission,” said Osceola County Health Department spokesman Jeremy Lanier.
Community transmission means that it’s unclear where people are contracting the virus, making it impossible to trace the source of the infection.
The large number of multigenerational households in Osceola make containing the virus particularly challenging here, Lanier said.
“It’s important for the younger generations to remember that although they might not be hospitalized if they get it, they could bring it home to someone in their family who could,” he said.
Despite the relief associated with the advent of the COVID-19 vaccine, residents can’t get complacent when it comes to basic measures to prevent transmission of the disease including wearing a face mask, frequent hand washing and physical distancing, he said.
“We’re all a little on edge and there’s an inclination to find some normalcy, especially during the holidays,” Lanier said.
“But you can’t let your guard down. COVID-19 isn’t going away because it’s Christmas.”
