ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WESH) — Mayor Jerry Demings announced that beginning Monday anyone 40 and over will be able to get the coronavirus vaccine at the Orange County Convention Center.
This lowering of the age requirement is a break from the governor’s policy which currently only allows people 60 and up to get the vaccine but the mayor says he believes he has the authority to do it.
“We do not want to be slow to react. We want to be proactive,” Demings said.
Beginning Monday, anyone 40 and up can book an appointment to get the coronavirus vaccine at the Orange County Convention Center.
Click here starting Monday to register for a COVID-19 vaccination at the convention center.
To be vaccinated at the Orange County Convention Center site, you have to be a Florida resident.
“Given the known inventory of vaccine that we have we are reasonably confident that we can open it up,” Demings said.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he made the decision to lower the age restriction after seeing demand at the site decrease.
This change goes against the governor’s order that currently only allows people 60 and up to get the vaccine.
Even so, Mayor Demings said he believe he has the authority to do it.
“I’ve told you before I don’t feel like I have to get permission to be the mayor of Orange County from Tallahassee,” Demings said.
The mayor said he notified the state of this change but declined to say whether or not he expected any push back from the state.
“I believe at the end of the day the governor wants the best thing for the residents of Florida and Orange County and that is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as we can given the supply and that’s what we are going to do,” Demings said.
The Orange County Convention Center site is the only site that will be available to this younger age group. All other sites will continue to go by the governor’s requirements.