ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — UCF will begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations Tuesday, but they will not be available to the general public — or even most UCF students or faculty.

Like other distribution sites, UCF will have to follow state guidelines, and that means the university can only administer the vaccine to health-care workers with direct patient contact and faculty, staff, and students who are 65 and older.

Amelia Garey is in her last semester of college, a time when transitioning from college to a career can be hectic enough.

“That transition is hard enough,” Garey said.  “Facing it during a pandemic makes it a bit more intense.”

She’s taking one day at a time.  She said she’s happy to see UCF beginning their own vaccinations.

“I think it’s good that people in that age group are going to get the vaccine first because they are more at risk than people my age,” Garey said.

UCF initially received a supply of 1,000 of the Pfizer two-dose shot but indicated it has developed a plan that would allow it to administer as many as 4,000 vaccinations a day when it gets a larger supply. When the state expands its criteria, UCF officials said the university hopes to administer shots to more UCF faculty, staff, and students.

Garey said she hopes she eventually gets the opportunity to get the vaccine.

“I definitely see it as a good thing, and I will definitely be getting it if it is available,” Garey said.

But in a time of great uncertainty, that — along with her future career plans — are unclear.

“I’m trying to tread lightly on anything that I do plan,” Garey said. “I just hope that it gets better.  I hope that the cases go down in America in general. I hope we get back to a better pace of how we deal with this whole thing.”

UCF has contacted those who are eligible to get the vaccine. The vaccinations will be administered by appointment at no cost to recipients in UCF’s Student Health Services offices.