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How the Orange County Convention Center vaccine site is bracing for increased demand

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Updated  April 5, 2021 10:27am EDT
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FOX 35 Orlando

How the Orange County Convention Center is preparing for open eligibility

The Orange County Convention Center is expecting big crowds over the next three to four weeks.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Orange County officials expect the Orange County Convention Center vaccination site to be busy over the next few weeks as COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expands to all adults.

In addition, teens 16 and older can get the Pfizer vaccine at the convention center. They must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and have a completed consent form.

Officials said roughly 9,000 vaccination appointments for the week of April 5th were booked in less than an hour.

Many people have been anxiously waiting for vaccine eligibility to expand to all adults.

RELATED: COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in Florida opens to all adults

"I am excited. I don't think it's going to hit until I'm there, but it will be so nice to have one less thing to worry about," said Cheyenne Drews, 24, who is getting the vaccine this week.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said, as of last Thursday, 21.5 percent of Orange County’s population has had at least one dose of the vaccine. More than 175,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered at the convention center.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings discusses vaccine rollout

Orange County officials expect the Orange County Convention Center vaccination site to be busy over the next few weeks as COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expands to all adults.

Dr. Raul Pino with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County said officials may adjust the operating hours at the convention center’s vaccination site to accommodate those who work during the day.

"[We] may have to modify to get out to the new segment of the population," Dr. Pino said. "Many of those individuals are active in the workforce so we may have to do some adjustments to assess those needs."

MORE NEWS: Publix to reopen vaccine portal as all adults in Florida become eligible

Mayor Demings said the vaccine supply may increase as well as President Biden recently doubled its goal of getting 100 million people vaccinated within his first 100 days in office to 200 million.

"By the end of this month, that 100th day in office for the Biden administration will occur so the supply of vaccine will be increasing significantly within the remainder of this month," Mayor Demings said during a news conference last Thursday.

People who are scheduled to get a vaccine need to bring a valid Florida identification.

For more information on making a COVID vaccine appointment, visit the Orange County Government website.

Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.