The director of emergency management in Florida said Thursday that a nationwide appointment system for COVID vaccinations should be ready in a few weeks, bringing order to the chaos that marks the launch of Florida vaccines to the most vulnerable residents.
Director Jared Moskowitz described the plans for the online portal in an appearance before a committee of the legislature that organizes hearings on the Tallahassee pandemic.
Governor Ron DeSantis has made it a priority to provide coronavirus vaccines to people aged 65 and over, which has led to increased demand. State health officials left most of the county’s hospitals and health departments to administer the vaccines, and some seniors camped in long lines outside the vaccination sites, only to be turned down when supplies ran out.
“I know it feels chaotic – 67 counties, different systems and interpretations – but medical care is being provided locally,” Moskowitz told lawmakers. He said a registration system could help improve the county’s existing strains. while delivering vaccinations.
“We are working on a registration system that we plan to launch in the coming weeks to help integrate site registration and fix some of the issues we have all read about,” he said.
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The design of a state-wide online portal is still under discussion and will be made available to counties – which are not required to use the system – to help coordinate vaccinations.
DeSantis tried to expand the number of vaccination sites. The state receives $ 194 million from the federal government to help distribute vaccines.
As of Wednesday, about 774,000 florists had at least one of two vaccines approved by the federal government. More than 1.5 million people have tested positive for the virus in the state since the pandemic began; almost 24,000 died.
With states being made available to the federal government for supply, no one can be sure when enough vaccines will be available to meet demand.
State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat, wants state officials to further expand vaccination sites and give seniors who may not have access to computers and online portals the opportunity to register for vaccinations through their phones or in person.
“It shouldn’t be an exclusive online system,” he said. He also called on state officials to do a better job of reaching out to communities, especially those of color, that may be reluctant to trust the vaccine.
Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees told the Senate Committee on Health Policy Wednesday that Florida receives about one million doses a month – suggesting it could take many months before the general population can be fully vaccinated.
Early published data from phase one and two studies of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine show that it appears to be safe and generates an immune response.
Rivkees, like the governor, asked for patience.
“This vaccine is our ray of hope,” Rivkees told the committee.
Other vaccines are expected to gain federal approval in the coming months, which will certainly support the state’s ability to vaccinate Florida’s 21.5 million people.
Senator Gary Farmer, the state’s top Democrat, acknowledged that the state is subject to the federal government, but criticized DeSantis for his “lack of leadership” in the pandemic. Farmer said the distribution of the vaccine was disrupted due to a lack of a cohesive plan to get the shots in the arms of Floridians.
At some vaccination sites, the elderly had to be rejected because the vaccine allocations had dried up. Programming sites have crashed due to rising demand.
Carlos Suarez has the latest information on the distribution of vaccines in South Florida, where residents are eager to find out how to sign up for a dose.
“Many people ask the question: When will we get the vaccine and what does the timeline look like?” asked Sen. Aaron Bean, a Republican.
“Is it fair to say that for the current supply, in simple terms, that for the current supply, there is a maximum period of 22 months?” the senator asked.
Rivkees said he hopes other vaccines will hit the market soon to speed up the schedule.
“We are very hopeful that more vaccines will follow in the short term,” Rivkees said.