Vaccination site opens for residents of Mainlands neighborhood in Pinellas Park

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - This week, 3,000 residents in one Pinellas Park neighborhood will receive a Moderna shot through a state pop-up vaccination site.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is from Pinellas County, made another appearance in the Bay Area on Thursday morning, announcing the new site in the Mainlands of Tamarac, a community for those who are 55 and older. 

According to the community’s website, vaccinations will begin Thursday morning for residents who are 65 and older. It is only for Mainland residents. Appointments will be available through Saturday.

His announcement came with cheering and applauding from residents during the press conference. DeSantis said statewide, 42% of the seniors living in Florida have received a COVID-19 vaccine dose.

However, in Pinellas County, he said 35% of its seniors received a shot.

"We said some of those areas that are below that have a lot of seniors..we want to surge more doses," the governor said.

DeSantis reiterated that these types of vaccine sites use the state's supply, not the county's. Additional information for Mainlands residents interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine can click here.

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Just the day before, the governor stopped in Manatee County to announce a vaccine pop-up site. He also addressed the controversy over the program, which some say highlighted ZIP codes that were high-income and in the "whitest and richest" Lakewood Ranch.

DeSantis argued the locations were chosen because of a high concentration of seniors.