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Delray Beach deploys mobile vaccine unit Friday night along Atlantic Avenue

Paramedics distributing shots until 9 p.m.
Vaccine pop-up clinic along-Atlantic-Ave-from-Delray-popupvaccine-clininc.jpg
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DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Delray Beach Fire Rescue is doing its part to boost vaccine rates in the city.

First responders with the team's mobile vaccine unit will be in downtown Delray Beach from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday.

Paramedics will be administering the Moderna vaccine to recipients 18 years of age and older.

No appointment is necessary, and the shots are free.

The vaccine unit will be located in Worthing Park in the 150 block of East Atlantic Ave. near Salt7 restaurant and Rocco's Tacos.

This is the second Friday that the city has deployed a mobile vaccine unit in downtown Delray Beach.

The pop-up vaccine clinic will also be distributing shots on Aug. 27 and Sept. 3.

"We wanted to offer (the vaccine) as much as possible and as easy as possible," emergency manager Chris Bell said.

Bell said the fire rescue department has been offering vaccines every Tuesday, but this is another way to help make shots more accessible.

Chris Bell, Delray Beach Fire Rescue emergency manager
Chris Bell says they have seen an increase in people getting the vaccine at their pop-up clinics.

"We are getting a lot of people who may be delayed and maybe had to think about it and maybe had to do some more research," Bell said.

Figures provided by Delray Beach Fire Rescue show that similar events have helped to vaccinate 1,266 residents since December.

Bell said they have seen an increase in turnout to these events since August.

"We are seeing more people now with the coverage of the delta variant and the increase of the numbers," Bell said.

In addition to Friday's downtown event, paramedics will be offering the vaccine in the Rainberry Woods neighborhood from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.