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Palm Beach County sending doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to cities

Boca Raton councilman says appointment windows closed minutes after opening
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BOCA RATON, Fla. — Boca Raton Councilman Andy Thomson said the city was notified Thursday morning it will receive 200 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the county.

"At 11:45 this morning we put out the word, email, on the city's website that we would be opening up an appointment window for folks who are eligible, and by 12:04, only four minutes later, all the appointment windows were taken up," he said.

Thomson said 200 doses isn't much considering there are thousands of people over the age of 65 who live in the city.

"I knew it would go fast, but fast is a relative term," Thomson said. "I figured it would take a little bit. I didn't realize it would be three to four minutes."

Lorraine Wender has tried to get an appointment with Broward County, Palm Beach County, Delray Beach and now Boca Raton, where she lives, with no luck.

"I thought, 'Oh, gosh. Great. This is wonderful. I have another chance,' and I got on ASAP and everything had gone," Wender said.

She said it's frustrating not being able to get an appointment.

"Literally, my phone was on from 6 o'clock in the morning to at night waiting to hear updates," she said.

According to Palm Beach County, 57,925 people have received their initial dose while only 1,614 have been given their second dose.

"Frankly, I'm not sure," Thomson said.

That's his response when asked if the county is going to send them another batch.

"Perhaps the next round will be the booster shot, will be the round two of these 200 doses we're giving out here," he said.