Two unidentified women, disguised to look elderly, were defeated in an attempt to obtain the coronavirus vaccine in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday.
At a news conference on Thursday, Orange County health administrator Dr. Raul Pino told a bizarre story: Two women attended a COVID-19 vaccination station, posing as elderly people eligible for vaccination. The pair was, in Dr. Rino’s words, “dressed as grandparents” for the presentation.
Dressed in disguises that included gloves, glasses and even hats, the women even presented legitimate cards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to show that the ploy had already worked once – they were there for the second round. “I don’t know how they escaped the first time,” said Pino.
The alleged “grandparents” received warnings of invasion by police authorities at the request of the health department, but were not charged in any other way. They will have to wait their turn to get the vaccine like everyone else.
“Our job as a health department is to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible,” explained Pino, according to the modified CDC guidelines being applied by Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Health.
Florida has already vaccinated approximately 42 percent of its 4.4 million elderly people. The state is also distributing the vaccine to health professionals and those with existing health problems at increased risk. But, due to the high demand, Pino emphasized that the agencies must be vigilant against ineligible people who “pretend” before the most vulnerable populations are protected.