Vaccinations for senior citizens began at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. NBC 6’s Amanda Plasencia reports
Coronavirus vaccinations are now available to the oldest residents of Miami-Dade County at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
The vaccine was previously only available to frontline healthcare workers and first responders, but as of this weekend, people aged 75 years or older can make appointments to receive initial doses of Pfizer and Moderna.
People who would like an appointment can call Mount Sinai between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm during the week, and 8:00 am and 1:00 pm on weekends at 305-674-2312. Also:
- The appointment line will be closed on New Year's Day
- No walk-ins will be accepted
- A patient must bring a government-issued ID or passport to the appointment
“They are well aware of the challenges they face, and the isolation they’ve been going through during this terrible period,” said Steven Sonenreich, President and CEO of Mount Sinai. “We’re starting (with the vaccinations) this weekend, right after Christmas. And we think this is one of the best Christmas gifts that anybody will ever have.”
The rollout comes after an executive order from Governor Ron DeSantis prioritizing the elderly over essential workers, defying recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Mount Sinai Medical Center has 7,500 doses of the vaccine available. The hospital system plans to partner with the City of Miami to help with organization and logistics, so there’s not a mad rush to the hospital.
“A lot of city staff are working on this already," Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said. "We don’t want to waste time. This is so important to begin. Every day, people get sick, every day, people unfortunately succumb to this virus. So we figure every day we’re not getting this out there, it’s dangerous."
The City is looking into whether it could use its municipal trolly system to transport people at large senior living facilities to vaccination locations.
The vaccines are not limited to Miami Beach. Most of the facility's patients are in other parts of the county, Sonenreich said.
