LARGO, Fla. — A new COVID-19 vaccination site opened Tuesday in Largo and according to the Pinellas County Health Department, more than 100,000 residents have received at least the first dose of the vaccine, which is about 11% of the population.

Vaccines at the new site, at 1197 E Bay Drive, are by appointment only. Florida residents can create an account at www.patientportalFL.com.

Health officials said as soon as they receive doses of the vaccine, they get them into arms.

“As everyday goes by, we're seeing more doses of the vaccine being shipped to the county,” said Tom Iovino, Pinellas County Health Department Spokesman.

With vaccination sites across the county, and a partnership with the faith based community, Pinellas County is one of two counties leading the state for its vaccination rate.

Last weekend alone first responders vaccinated almost 900 people at local churches in underserved areas, where people may not have had access to the vaccine had it not been so close to home.

Health officials said the high vaccination rate can also be attributed to the county’s early participation in the state’s pilot program aimed at vaccinating people in assisted living facilities.

Despite having vaccinated so many people, though, health officials said now is not the time to let your guard down.

“One thing I know we need to do is get the vaccination rate up to the 70-80% range, and at that point we'll start to see the possibility of people being able to let their guard down a little bit more, but until then we're still trying to drive those numbers up,” said Iovino.