In an effort to help get senior residents of Hillsborough County vaccinated, Hillsborough County Aging Services, Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County have partnered with local churches and senior living facilities to use them as vaccination locations.
The county continues to administer vaccines to those age 65 and older through the Targeted Vaccine Area (TVA) initiative. This initiative is a joint outreach effort to vaccinate seniors age 65 and older. The program finds locations in underserved areas, or where the 65 and older population is concentrated in Hillsborough County, and delivers the vaccine to them. This includes senior homes, independent living communities, churches and other targeted groups.
“Approximately 600 additional Hillsborough County residents age 65 and older were given the COVID-19 vaccine through an expansion of the Targeted Vaccine Area initiative at the Greater Bethel Missionary Baptist Church on Jan. 24,” said Hillsborough Department of Health’s Kevin Walter. “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has encouraged partnering with churches in an effort to increase the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine to senior citizens in Florida and target underserved communities.”
Currently, 350 locations have been identified for TVA. The list is expected to grow as the program expands. The Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management is using the state registry and sources, such as Aging Services and the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, to identify the most optimal locations.
USF Health, Hillsborough Community College, Tampa General Hospital and the Tampa Housing Authority are partners in the TVA initiative. Together, they recently administered to more than 1,100 seniors at Mary Walker Apartments in Temple Terrace, San Clemente Villas in Plant City, Bayshore Presbyterian Apartments, Patrician Arms I and II, J.L. Young Apartments and Robles Park Apartments, all located in Tampa. Staff from the Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management and Aging Services continue to identify other senior living locations for future vaccinations.
If you would like to learn more about getting a COVID-19 vaccination, you can visit the Department of Health’s vaccination website at www.myvaccine.fl.gov or call 1-866-200-3896.
