The Covid-19 vaccine has arrived in Sarasota and Manatee counties. In Manatee County, Manatee Public Safety and the Florida Department of Health in Manatee set up a medical tent on its public safety complex for the vaccine rollout, which began for first responders today. Community inoculations will be given as supplies become available.

Public Safety along with @HealthyManatee has established the first pod for the COVID-19 vaccine. This pod will be used starting tomorrow to inoculate our first responders under phase 1b. Soon we will shift to community inoculations for COVID-19 as supplies become available. pic.twitter.com/QqqeIN8Ijm

— Manatee County Public Safety Department (@MCGPublicSafety) December 22, 2020

In Sarasota, Sarasota Memorial Hospital received 9,600 doses of the Covid-19 Moderna vaccine this morning and began vaccinating its healthcare workers at 12:30 p.m.; by 2 p.m., more than 200 staff members had been vaccinated. The hospital's goal is to vaccinate approximately 575 staff members and physicians per day over the next few weeks. The first distribution is allocated to frontline workers, including physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical and non-clinical staff who support patient care. As in Manatee County, the hospital's initial focus will be on vaccinating employees and physicians; SMH is not a community vaccine site.