The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County (DOH-Okaloosa) is partnering with Okaloosa County Emergency Medical Services and local fire departments to begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment only to adults ages 65 and older and non-hospital health care workers with direct patient contact.
Friday, January 22 (280 appointments)
8 a.m. – noon
DOH-Okaloosa Fort Walton Beach
221 Hospital Dr. NE
Fort Walton Beach, FL
Saturday, January 23 (960 appointments)
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Northwest Florida State College
100 E. College Blvd.
Niceville, FL
Monday, January 25 (960 appointments)
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center
1250 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE
Fort Walton Beach, FL
Registration will open at noon on Wednesday, January 20 both online and for scheduling over the phone. These slots will fill up quickly and the DOH asks that you please do not call to schedule an appointment before the noon timeframe. Appointments are unable to be made through email or by walk-in at the health department.
Appointments must be made in advance and the public is encouraged to register online. To make an appointment visit myokaloosa.com/bcc/covid-19/vaccine to register online via Eventbrite or by calling 850-344-0566. If calling, please note that you may experience delays, dropped calls and busy signals due to high call volume, according to the DOH.
Appointments are required for this vaccination clinic and will not be scheduled on site. Do not arrive at the vaccination site without an appointment.
“Anyone born in January 1956 or earlier and non-hospital health care workers with direct patient contact are eligible for a vaccine appointment,” wrote the DOH in a press release. “IDs will be verified at the vaccination event and if anyone scheduled does not meet these criteria, their appointment will be canceled.”
Appointments are non-transferable. If you need to cancel an appointment, you can call 850-344-0566 or if you registered online you can cancel using Eventbrite. Each person receiving the vaccine must sign up for an individual appointment ticket. Due to high demand, tickets online may be “sold” before your sale is complete. Completed orders display an order number and you will receive a confirmation email. Tickets are also available by phone until sold out.
Once you’ve secured your appointment time, please arrive on-time. Individuals arriving early can cause delays and longer lines.
“Please be careful not to be fooled by a fake Eventbrite account,” said the Department of Health. “Always use the link provided by DOH-Okaloosa and Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners. Registration is free. DOH-Okaloosa will not ask for credit card information or your social security number.”
Individuals receiving the vaccine must complete a vaccine screening and consent form to confirm eligibility. These are available on their website. For those that cannot access the forms in advance, a paper copy will be provided at your appointment time. A valid government-issued ID must be shown at the vaccination site. This can include a passport, driver’s license or military identification card. Non-hospital health care workers with direct patient contact are required to show their badge. People will also need to bring their registration confirmation number.
The appointment only vaccination clinic will be drive-thru only, and all individuals will remain in their vehicle for the duration of the clinic. Individuals receiving the vaccine are asked to wear short-sleeve shirts and remove any jackets/coats when arriving.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises individuals to be monitored for at least 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine. Individuals will be directed to a waiting area to park and should plan accordingly.
The vaccination provided will be the Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. A second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine is required 21 days after the first dose. This dose will be scheduled at the first dose appointment.