Officials make change to COVID-19 vaccine and testing site at Hard Rock Stadium

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – There has been a change made to one of South Florida’s largest COVID-19 vaccination sites.

At Hard Rock Stadium, officials continue to urge patience when it comes to getting appointments.

Officials said they have been vaccinating around 1,000 people per day and believe that number will increase.

Those lucky enough to get an appointment at Hard Rock Stadium will now get their shots at Gate 16, which is separate from the existing COVID-19 testing site.

Jane Anderson and her husband came all the way from Lake Worth. For Jane, a breast cancer survivor, the shot means a lot.

“I called all day long, all day from eight in the morning until about five, and they finally answered, and we got the appointments,” Anderson said. “I have an amazing prognosis but again, my immune system is not amazing so this means we can start to have a life again.”

Anderson showed Local 10 News’ Amy Viteri her slip indicating the date for her and her husband’s second dose, which is something that has been confusing for some vaccine recipients.

Gail Allen and her husband John Colonna got their first dose last week. They’re not clear if they show up on the date indicated for shot number two or if they need to navigate the appointment process all over again.

“Do I just show up with my card and say I need Pfizer,” she wondered. “I don’t know what to do. It is more than overwhelming. We really haven’t been able to be out of the house since January.”

That’s because John, a double lung transplant recipient taking immunosuppressants, is at particular risk. The couple is understandably anxious to get dose number two.

“I want to go out and make new memories, but I don’t want them to be my last memories,” said John.


About the Author:

Amy Viteri is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who joined Local 10 News in September 2015. She's currently an investigative reporter and enjoys uncovering issues facing South Florida communities. A native of the Washington, D.C., area, she's happy to be back in South Florida, where she earned a masters degree at the University of Miami.