Vaccination site is moved to Snyder Park from Holiday Park to make it easier to administer more shots.
FORT LAUDERDALE — Fort Lauderdale’s Snyder Park is a new destination for those seeking COVID-19 vaccinations.
Mayor Dean Trantalis was on hand when the site opened to the public Tuesday.
“It’s a larger location. We can vaccinate more people as the supply increases,” he said. “More cars will be on the park grounds so we won’t see the backups we saw on Federal Highway [outside Holiday Park] into the downtown area.”
Operations at Holiday Park were permanently relocated to Snyder Park because the former site had proved to be a traffic nightmare, Trantalis said.
There are 15 tents at the Snyder Park site, which is staffed from a pool of up to 350 medical professionals and volunteers, said Dr. Warren Sturman, unit director for the countywide Medical Reserve Corps.
Florida residents who are age 65 or older, or frontline healthcare workers, can request an appointment by calling 866-201-6313 or TTY at 833-476-1526.
Vaccinations are given by appointment only.
Anyone not meeting the criteria will not get a vaccine, Trantalis said.
“We are turning people away,” he said. “We have to.”
In the weeks that the Holiday Park site operated, nearly 11,000 people were vaccinated, according to Trantalis.
Trantalis said he estimates the Florida Department of Health in Broward County can provide enough vaccines for about 500 seniors in Fort Lauderdale per day, but they are holding a reserve for second doses. He added that he hasn’t heard from federal authorities about when the next supply of vaccines is coming.
Patients who received their first vaccine at Holiday Park can go to Snyder Park to receive their second dose, 21 days later, on the date written on their appointment card. They must also bring a photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport.
Anyone who has an appointment for their first vaccine at Snyder Park will be contacted by the Department of Health to schedule their second dose.
Snyder Park’s main entrance will be closed to all traffic except for vaccine appointments between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily. All areas inside the park will remain open for recreational activities, accessible by foot or bike. Visitors can park in the lot nearest the dog park, at 3299 S.W. Fourth Avenue, south of State Road 84 and east of Interstate 95.
The Florida Department of Health in Broward County is operating the vaccination sites at Snyder Park in partnership with the City of Fort Lauderdale.
Hugh Boyd, 70, and his wife Loretta, 74, of Fort Lauderdale, said they idled in the line of cars at Snyder Park line for about 90 minutes Tuesday before receiving their shots.
“Actually I expected worse,” Hugh Boyd said.
Sites staffed with volunteers are at a greater advantage, according to Sturman.
“The more [volunteers] we have out here the less time older people spend waiting in their car. It increases capacity, “he said.
Volunteers can sign up at BrowardMRU.com.