Dozens turned from the Edward Waters College vaccination site

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dozens of people who made appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Edward Waters College’s new community location on Friday morning were turned down for being allowed to register even though they did not meet the qualifications.

The medical staff who operate the site said the digital registration program allowed people to sign up without adequate pre-screening for age. Currently in Florida, only people 65 and older and health professionals are prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Because of the error, dozens of people signed up through the online system, received a confirmation with a QR code, and were told to show up at the vaccination site and present that code to receive the vaccine. Agape Family Health Center staff told News4Jax that the registration system did not notify people that they were not of the age or profession to qualify under current guidelines.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis visited EWC on Thursday to announce a new COVID-19 vaccination site at James Weldon Johnson Middle School’s old gym on campus. The state-run site offers 200 vaccinations a day, seven days a week, and targets residents of Northwest Jacksonville, DeSantis said.

Officials running the site encouraged people to register online, but people can also make an appointment in person.

Mia Jones, CEO of Agape, which helps the state run the site, said residents in the New Town neighborhood will be prioritized. Registration is based on zip code.

The site at the school was one of six COVID-19 vaccination sites opened Thursday to provide better access to the vaccine for disadvantaged populations in Broward, Duval, Leon, Miami-Dade and Osceola counties.

“This site is especially important to our seniors in Northwest Jacksonville and we are extremely pleased that the EWC will continue its legacy as an important resource with impact for all of our residents of the city and especially our New Town residents, many of whom represent demographics disproportionately affected by this horrifying COVID-19 virus, ”said EWC President Dr. A. Zachary Faison Jr.

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DeSantis said Thursday that the age for Florida residents who can receive the coronavirus vaccine will be lowered “sometime in March.”

“I’ve said from the start we’re going to lower the age, and once we’re in a situation where the seniors are taken care of, you know, we’re going to see if we’re going to do that,” DeSantis said. “So it will happen, I would say, without a doubt, barring any issues with vaccine distribution, you will definitely see age drop sometime in March.”

The visit to Jacksonville comes just days after DeSantis announced that law enforcement officers and teachers over 50 will have the chance to get vaccinated next week at federal locations opening in the state, including one in Jacksonville.

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“We think we can do that given the supplemental vaccine without affecting the older population,” said DeSantis.

Desantis pushed back on Wednesday at criticism that his government, unlike other states, had not established a priority group for the next phase of the vaccine rollout.

‘When you notice that many of those people have adopted plans and have already had to change those plans. We did not. We looked at ACIP’s and CDC’s recommendations and we rejected them respectively and said we put our seniors first, ”said DeSantis.

DeSantis said on Wednesday that his government does not want to open up vaccinations to more groups and does not want the supply to meet the demand.

“We are going to do it based on the facts and circumstances on the spot. Based on the availability of vaccines and on the progress made to pass through the population aged 65 and over, ”said DeSantis.