Manatee County receives vaccine for another 4,500 seniors

Another 4,500 seniors will receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Manatee County on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Tom Bennett Park in East County.

Manatee County 311 callers will begin scheduling appointments with seniors who are registered in the county's Vaccination Standby Pool on Monday, according to a county press release. Manatee County operators will be calling randomly selected seniors from the phone number 742-4300 to book appointments.

If a selected recipient misses the first call, the county will call once more at a later time. If the county calls twice with no response, that would-be recipient's name will be placed back in the standby pool. The county asked that people don't call 311 to ask if they've been selected.

About 600 doses are being reserved for healthcare workers who are enrolled in a similar standby pool, the county said. The county will also contact hundreds of patients who received their first dose Jan. 8 or earlier to confirm appointments for second doses.

Approximately 21,257 Manatee County residents have received a vaccination as of Jan. 24. Of that total, 9,683 were vaccinated at Bennett Park and the Public Safety Center. The remainder were given at Manatee County hospitals and long-term care facilities, the county statement said.