COVID-19 Vaccine: Doses distributed at Lake Eola in Orlando

A new vaccination site opened at Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando on Wednesday.

Officials say that the vaccination site will be open every Wednesday between 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Single-dose Johnson & Johnson and two-shot Pfizer vaccines will be given.

The site is reportedly open for walk-ups only. Registration is not required. The site is specifically located near the bandshell on Rosalind Avenue.

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"I think a lot of times people don’t really know where these parks (that the vaccinations are done) are," Fernando Patino of Orlando said. "Or, it’s a little further out. We’re all a little used to our ways of living here and the fact that we all know where Lake Eola is."

He added that "I’m one of those that I saw it on the news where like tomorrow come out."

About a dozen people were in line for the first day of vaccinations.

MORE NEWS: Florida county prepares to distribute Pfizer vaccine to children 12+ soon

Even out-of-towners are taking advantage. Felix Gonzalez is in Orlando on vacation from Honduras. He got a Johnson and Johnson shot.

"We thought that maybe we could get vaccinated," Gonzalez said. "We could give it a try."

Members of the health department’s COVID-19 Strike Team said they were pleased with the turnout.

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"We’ve been pleasantly surprised by people who’ve just walked by and stopped," Orange County Department of Health Strike Team Coordinator Emily Owens Pickle said. "So, that’s a good litmus test to let us know we’re in the exact right place."

The strike team not only wants to vaccinate people who are out for a morning walk, but they also hope to vaccinate those who hang out here and could be experiencing homelessness.

"[We want to] normalize our presence," Owens Pickle said. "So people start to feel comfortable and really see, ‘Oh okay, they’re out here every week. People are getting vaccinated. They’re fine.’"

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Meanwhile, the University of Central Florida (UCF) Lake Nona Medical Center will give out first doses of the two-shot Moderna vaccine on Wednesday between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Those 18 and older can receive the vaccine but appointments are required.

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