To make it more comfortable for residents and to help with long lines, the Citrus County Health Department is changing how they are offering the COVID-19 vaccine.

No need to sit in your car waiting for a vaccine - residents can now show up at the Duke Energy Training Center in Crystal River for a walk-up service.

William Johnson showed up to get his second Moderna dose. He told Spectrum Bay News 9,  “Last time I sat in line, I was probably 20 or 30 cars back.”

Citrus County Health Department Public Information Officer Audrey Stasko said, “We did that obviously because of the weather. We’re seeing more rain, higher temperatures gustier winds.”

Health department workers wanted a way to get patients out of the heat or potential rain.

The health department in Citrus County is offering the Moderna vaccine. (Katya Guillaume/Spectrum Bay News 9)

Johnson knows all too well what it’s like waiting for a shot while sitting in his car during bad weather. “I went out to Center Ridge Park, the storm come through and blew one of the tents, the roof off.”

The weather isn't the only reason for the change of site. Stasko continued to say, “We’re just not seeing the demand that we were in the beginning, so obviously with the indoor site, the walk-up, we can space out the appointments a little bit more. We can have staff here longer when as when we were outdoors, obviously we couldn’t be there all day.”

Vaccines are available five days a week. “We do first doses Tuesdays and Thursdays and then we do second doses on Monday, Wednesday’s and Friday’s,” Stasko said.

With the demand lower than expected, she said they are accepting walk-ins without an appointment but they are still encouraging residents to make them through the online portal.

The health department is offering the Moderna vaccine.

They will end their drive-up service on April 23. The address for the new location is 8200 W. Venable Street, Crystal River, 34429.