75 years or older? Mount Sinai will give you a COVID-19 vaccine, CEO says

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. Florida government Ron DeSantis signed an executive order this week stating that those 65 and older will be next in line for the COVID-19, taking the advice of a Center for Disease Control panel of the next group, who are 75 and older, are also being breached as essential frontline workers. What is missing from this guideline is an implementation plan for rolling out an accompanying vaccine, creating confusion and a fragmented approach across South Florida.

Mount Sinai said it began vaccinating seniors 75 and older on Thursday, but is awaiting next-step instructions from state health officials who have gone radio silent.

“What’s interesting about that population is that they want to get vaccinated,” said Steven Sonenreich, president and CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center. Mount Sinai Medical Center has received a limited supply of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

• Mount Sinai will extend the right to vaccination to individuals aged 75 and older and community first responders.
• Those who meet these criteria can schedule an appointment by calling Mount Sinai between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, and 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday. The appointment line is closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• Call (305) 674-2312.
• No walk-ins accepted.
• The patient must bring a government-issued ID (preferably a driver’s license) or passport to the appointment.
• Upon arrival, patients are asked a series of qualifying questions.

Sonenreich said the hospital has already begun to vaccinate seniors 75 and older, by appointment only. The doses are part of the hospital’s COVID-19 vaccination allocation, including for primary care health workers.

“We want to try to use as many vaccines as possible. I think there are a number of other hospitals that will follow our lead in the coming days, ”said Sonenreich.

Mount Sinai appears to be an outlier. “We now have the opportunity as hospitals to bend the curve of this pandemic and I believe we should do everything we can to distribute as many vaccines as possible,” Sonenreich said.

On Wednesday, DeSantis warned: “We don’t have enough vaccine for everyone. Don’t rush to your local district hospital or health department now, ”he said.

According to Broward Health, that’s exactly what people did. Community seniors came to the hospital to register, but just as we heard from Memorial Healthcare System, the initial dose assignments received are still being administered to primary care health professionals, not yet community members.

At the Jackson Health System, they began vaccinating long-term care patients on Thursday, saying that based on the governor’s new order, “we will begin vaccinating existing Jackson patients, prioritizing those over the age of 75. years. ” Expanding beyond what they said will depend on when more doses become available.

In Miami-Dade County, Fire Captain Jason Fernandez said they will begin vaccinating firefighters this weekend and expand to district workers over the age of 65 starting next week.

“I feel very passionate about this – to get this vaccine out to all these populations as soon as possible,” said Sonenreich.

With more than 4 million people over 65 in Florida, there are currently more seniors than available doses in the state. There is no indication from the state as to how it plans to provide vaccinations to that priority group.

Local 10 News has contacted state health officials several times in the past two days and no one has responded.