New Vaccine Registration System Launches Monday At Noon

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — With Gov. Ron DeSantis’ latest executive order expanding coronavirus vaccine eligibility to everyone 60 and older in Florida, Sarasota County is adapting to this expansion by launching a new registration system Monday at noon.

Anyone 18 and older can register through the new system, but only those currently eligibility for the vaccine — which is now those 60 and older — will be assigned an account number, Chuck Henry, the Department of Health in Sarasota County, said in a video released Monday.

“This new revised system will allow anyone to register from age 18 all the way up in anticipation of the age continuing to drop over time,” he said. “But we’re only going to issue that inline number to those currently eligible.”

Those who previously registered with the county and were eligible for the vaccine at the time won’t lose their place in line, though.

“We’re still following the in-line number,” Rich Collins, the county’s emergency services director, said in the video.

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Henry added, “We started with the 65 and above group because they are our vulnerable population, and we want to continue through that group until we’ve offered vaccines to everyone previously registered and then we’ll move through the next group.”

They also warned that those registering on the first day of the new system should expect delayed responses confirming their registration.

“Think back to two months ago with the first registration system, when we initially put it in place. This updated system will experience a high volume and because of that the automated systems that respond and tell you ‘yes your registration is valid’ and all those things will take time to come out,” Henry said. “After a few days, things will return to normal, but we want people to expect there will be a delay in the first few days and not panic.”

Register for the COVID-19 vaccine through Sarasota County's updated Everbridge registration system online here. People can also register by calling 941-861-VAXS (8297).