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THE VILLAGES, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations in Florida will include seniors across the state.
“In Florida, we have to put our parents and grandparents first and that’s what we’re going to do,” said DeSantis. “And we are going to work very hard to be able to send all vaccines to the elderly who want them.”
“We’re not going to put young, healthy workers above our frail elderly population,” he continued.
A group of seniors in The Villages were vaccinated during DeSantis’ press conference at UF Health.
“These are probably the first members of the community to be elderly people to be vaccinated, perhaps anywhere in the country but certainly in Florida,” DeSantis said of the group. “This is kind of a taste of what we will hopefully see in the coming weeks and months.”
DeSantis, who said people over 70 will be given priority, did not offer a concrete timetable, but said the state will soon release additional plans, including plans for community vaccination sites that will be available to older individuals.
The plan is a break with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
After health professionals and long-term residents, the following groups recommended for vaccine priority are not just people 75 and older, but different groups, such as first responders, USPS employees, grocery store workers, and teachers. The CDC then recommends people between the ages of 65 and 74, people aged 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions, along with other essential workers, including food workers, construction, bank workers, IT & communications, public safety, and media.
But the decision about who gets the vaccine next is up to the United States.
Previously, Florida focused on administering vaccines to primary care health professionals and people living and working in long-term care facilities. Last week, Florida received 179,400 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which was used for those groups.
DeSantis said on Tuesday that health workers have distributed the vaccine to more than 100 long-term care facilities in Broward and Pinellas counties.
“I think once we offer it to the elderly – and especially if we get a Johnson & Johnson approval that’s one dose – I think you’ll be able to offer it broadly and I think some of the key areas, whether it’s legal, enforcement, fire, be it teachers, I think they will have access, ”said DeSantis.
DeSantis said this week the state has received an additional 127,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and by the end of Tuesday, the state should have 367,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine.
About 4.4 million Florida residents are over the age of 65 and more than 3 million are over the age of 70, DeSantis said.
“It’s reserved for you,” DeSantis told Florida seniors. But not everyone will be able to do it on day one. It will take a while for everyone to have access. “
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