Lake County's first-come, first-served drive-in was running like clockwork Wednesday after the Health Department received 12,600 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
It starts at 9 a.m. at the Clermont Arts and Recreation Center on U.S. 27.
The county hopes to open a site farther north, as well.
The seniors and medical workers getting vaccinated filled out forms in their cars and then parked in rows of eight in front of tents.
Nurses and paramedics gave the shots and monitored them for 15 minutes. They drove off with a vaccine card and the promise of a second dose.
Some seniors, like Tavares resident Charles Steiner and his wife, had tried numerous times to get the vaccine.
His main reason: he doesn't want to die or lose his wife. Plus, his friends will have nothing to do with him.
"We go to the flea markets," he said. "We go here. We go there. But we do wear our masks. We do follow the rules. But we've been friends for 25 years and now none of our friends want nothing to do because we go everywhere and they think we're going to get it and give it to them."
The vaccine will change that, he said.
"But I don't know if I want to see them, because of the way they treated me."
Pharmacist Sam Patel was there with his parents. He fears bringing the virus home.
"Because if we get infected," he said, "you know chances they get infected and there's much more problems. And so I want them to get vaccinated first."
Cars can line up at 8 a.m. The line will close when it spills out onto the highway but then open again.
Seniors are urged to follow the Lake County Health Department on Twitter and check its website.
