WEST PALM BEACH, FLA (January 12, 2021) – At a meeting of the West Palm Beach City Commission, West Palm Beach Asst. Fire Chief and Emergency Manager Brent Bloomfield updated Mayor Keith A. James and the City Commission about vaccine distribution in the City of West Palm Beach.

Asst. Chief Bloomfield shared that the City of West Palm Beach is ready, willing and able to vaccinate residents but is unable to do so, because the vaccine has not yet been provided to the City by the Florida Department of Health (DOH) through Palm Beach County. Nevertheless, plans are in place to vaccinate our community once vaccine is provided to the City of West Palm Beach.

“The State is receiving vaccines from FEMA,” said Asst. Chief Bloomfield. “They, in turn, send them down to the county Department of Health. The Department of Health then decides, in conjunction with Palm Beach County Emergency Management, to whom and where the vaccines go. We ask continuously, almost daily, for vaccines. The response that we are getting right now is ‘We really don’t have any.’”

Asst. Chief Bloomfield noted the City has already taken several steps aimed at bringing the COVID-19 vaccine to city residents:

• Petitioned DOH for vaccination POD: Citing two vaccine points of dispensation (POD) in south Palm Beach County, Chief Bloomfield underscored that he has petitioned DOH to establish a vaccination POD in West Palm Beach.
• Readied city vaccination PODs: The City of West Palm Beach began readying its own vaccination PODs in October but needs the vaccine to activate the pods and vaccinate residents. The City had already designed PODs for dispensing resources in hurricanes, pandemics and other disasters.
• Petitioned DOH for vaccines: The City has petitioned DOH in Palm Beach County Director Dr. Alina Alonso for vaccines to be administered through a POD.
• Prioritized healthcare community, first responders and individuals over 65: The priority is to vaccinate healthcare workers, first responders, and individuals ages 65 years and older, in keeping with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ executive order.  The City has received vaccinations for 150 first responders.

“The City of West Palm Beach set its PODS in motion back in October,” said Asst. Chief Bloomfield. “We designed them and put an incident action plan together. We are ready to go. It is just a matter of getting those vaccines. We are petitioning (DOH in Palm Beach County Director) Dr. Alonso for vaccines to be administered through closed and open PODs.”

Asst. Chief Bloomfield noted the City’s future vaccination strategy which, upon receipt of vaccine, would include plans to:

• Establish PODS.
• Work with non-profits and faith-based leaders to vaccinate West Palm Beach residents.
• Work with neighborhoods and condo/homeowners association leaders to coordinate vaccine distributions.
• Vaccinate individuals 65 and older using West Palm Beach Fire Department paramedics.
• Work with the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency Director Christopher Roog on economic development.
• Work with city staff on special events planning and safety.

“I have let Palm Beach County and the Department of Health know that our fire department is ready, willing and able to administer the vaccine if and when we get the doses,” said Mayor Keith James. “We are pushing whatever leverage we have as a city to see if we can get some more doses.

To watch the January 11, 2021 COVID-19 update, click here!

To make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, please contact the Florida Department of Health by emailing chd50feedback@flhealth.gov. The Florida DOH COVID-19 Call Centers are available 24/7 at 1 (866) 779-6121 or email COVID-19@flhealth.gov.