PENSACOLA, Fla. – Within a few days, Floridians aged 65 and older can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday at Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola that he is signing an executive order allowing people 65 and older to be vaccinated as the “first priority” if primary health care workers and residents and staff at long-term care facilities receive the vaccine.
“The state of Florida is prioritizing our COVID-19 vaccine for our seniors,” said DeSantis. “They take precedence over regular workers under 65.”
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Floridians 65 and older can then get the COVID-19 vaccine, says Governor Ron DeSantis
By announcing this executive order, DeSantis breaks the recommendations of a U.S. advisory committee on disease control and prevention, which recently said vital workers and people 75 and older should get the vaccine next.
DeSantis argued that vaccinating the more vulnerable over-65s and older people will reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.
“It makes no sense for someone aged 42 to jump before someone aged 70,” said DeSantis. “The problem is that people aged 73, 74 would be standing in the back of line for a young 21-year-old employee who considers citation to be essential.
DeSantis said that under his executive order, once a hospital finishes vaccinating all primary care doctors, nurses and health professionals, they can start administering the COVID-19 vaccine to people 65 and older.
In addition, the governor said the county’s health departments are now receiving shipments of the vaccine and will administer it to people 65 and older as early as Monday.
“We want to work on bringing this to the seniors,” said DeSantis. “We think that’s very, very important to reduce mortality and reduce the number of people who need to be hospitalized.”
Hundreds of thousands of doses of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in Florida since last week, and DeSantis said he expects hundreds of thousands of doses to continue to come in every week for the “foreseeable future”.
“A lot of great things are happening. A lot of hope, a lot of optimism,” said DeSantis. “We go where the risk is greatest and where we think the impact will be the most consistent.”
After the over-65s, DeSantis said the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations in Florida could include law enforcement officers, firefighters, teachers, and utility companies.
“Then I think you have a chance for some of the wider public to be able to do it,” DeSantis said.