Florida will ensure that seniors who don’t live in long-term care facilities are the first members of the general public to receive doses of a coronavirus vaccine, Gov. Ron DeSantis
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Speaking at a press conference, DeSantis said he plans to sign an executive order that prioritizes seniors over 65 for the following doses in lieu of essential workers.
“We want to work on bringing this to our older population. We think this is very important to reduce mortality by reducing the number of people who need to be hospitalized for COVID-19,” said DeSantis.
The move breaks with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommended that people over the age of 75, as well as key non-health workers such as police officers, grocery store workers, teachers, and workers at a meat packaging plant part of “phase 1b.”
The CDC prioritized health workers and nursing home residents on the first round of vaccinations, and states usually adopted the same guidelines.
But with limited doses, states and public health officials are forced to ration the shots for very specific populations.
Some states outline specific subgroups in their plans, while others rely on frontline employers, such as hospitals, to determine who should be at the front of the queue.
Regardless of priorities, vaccinations will take time.
Florida has more than 4 million people in the age group over 65, DeSantis said, advising people to be patient.
“We don’t currently have enough vaccine for everyone 65 and older in Florida. We have hundreds of thousands of vaccines,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis said he does not want to prioritize vaccinating younger people, even if they have “essential” jobs, over someone who is older.
“It makes no sense for a 42 year old to be ahead of someone 70,” DeSantis said. “I want to make sure if there is one more dose here in Pensacola this week, I want it to go to an elderly person. [person]. “
DeSantis said once a hospital has finished vaccinating primary care medical personnel, immediate attention should be given to seniors over the age of 65.
He did not provide a timeline as to when that could be achieved, but noted that as some county health departments begin to receive small amounts of vaccines, they will begin as early as next Monday with the age group 65 and older.
So far, about 70,000 shots have been administered to primary care health workers and seniors in long-term care facilities in Florida, DeSantis said.
Florida isn’t alone in breaking CDC’s guidelines for the second round of vaccinations, but states don’t have to follow what the agency recommends. There is no federal mandate for vaccination priorities.
For example, Texas announced this week that it will also prioritize those 65 and older in “stage 1b,” as well as those considered high risk due to certain medical conditions, such as cancer, obesity, a heart disease, or diabetes type. 2..
“The focus on people 65 and older or who have co-morbidities will protect the most vulnerable populations,” said Imelda Garcia, chair of the Texas Vaccine Allocation Panel and Associate Commissioner for Laboratory and Infectious Disease Services at the Texas Department of State. Healthcare.
“This approach ensures that Texans most at risk from COVID-19 can be protected across different races and ethnicities, regardless of where they work,” said Garcia.
The state does not prioritize teachers, farm workers or other “essential” workers until there is more supply.
Massachusetts places inmates and correction officers in the first round of vaccine recipients because they work and reside in a municipal environment. The first round includes first responders such as police officers and firefighters, as well as health workers.
“It’s easy to discount the value of prisoners. But they are in a compound environment. The virus gets in, they don’t have many choices. They are obligated to their caregivers,” said John Grabenstein, general manager of the Vaccine advisory service. Dynamics.
Experts say it’s not unreasonable for states to deviate from what the CDC recommends, and they understand that officials grapple with thorny ethical issues.
States value different populations – some prioritize stopping the spread of the virus, while others prioritize limiting the death toll. More states are expected to deviate from the CDC suggestions in the future.
“I think that’s the dilemma of how we can balance these things simultaneously with limited doses, the risk of exposure and its consequences, versus the … morbidity and mortality,” said Bruce Gellin, president of global immunization for the drug. Sabin Vaccine Institute. .
“With a limited supply, I think the governors therefore welcome the general framework. They can work in it, or maybe choose otherwise, but at least that’s the starting point,” Gellin said.