Florida Governor Ron DeSantis received applause on Wednesday for his refusal to take the coronavirus vaccine before senior populations, telling reporters that “it is not the priority”.
“I am willing to accept, but I am not the priority, they are the priority. I am under 45,” he said. “People under 45 are not going to be the first in line, so when it is my turn, I will do that.”
“I want my parents, our grandparents to be able to achieve this,” he continued. “I’m an elected official, but wow, at the end of the day we’re going to focus on where the risk is.”
DeSantis’ comments come as the vaccine begins to reach first respondents, elderly populations and leading figures – including members of Congress – across the United States
The governor said elderly residents can expect an increase in the new year in the number of vaccines distributed to the state’s 67 counties, as the largest elderly population in the US for the vaccine on a first-come, first-served basis.
Following DeSantis’ executive order last week, frontline healthcare professionals and residents of long-term care facilities, along with anyone aged 65 and over, are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine in the State of the Sun – although they have access to limited supply they have left many elderly people waiting in long lines to no avail.
“This is the population that is most at risk for COVID, has the greatest impact on their lives and we have a responsibility to support these people who have done so much to make our state and country what it is today,” said DeSantis during a press conference. Wednesday conference. “You talk about a place like Kings Point, you have people of the Great Generation, people who fought in World War II, survived the Holocaust – these are people that we must support and prioritize.”
Florida is preparing to receive 127,100 doses of the Modern vaccine, 93,900 of which will be distributed to county health departments that have not yet received the vaccine. Although more locations may offer the vaccine, it remains to be seen whether or not it will help with long waiting periods.
Municipalities across the state were overwhelmed with elderly people trying to get a vaccine against the virus that hit their state with more than 1.3 million cases, including 13,871 new cases registered on Wednesday, and more than 21,000 deaths since the pandemic began. .
Lee County, home to Cape Coral, a major retirement center in the U.S., said it reached capacity at all three vaccine distribution locations at 6:30 am on Wednesday morning, attracting condemnation from those who believe vaccines they should be reserved through a naming system and for residents, not “snow birds” – elderly populations that live in Florida only during the winter months.
“All three vaccination sites are IN CAPACITY,” wrote the Lee County Health Department. “Additional sites will open next week.”
Pfizer’s second round of vaccines is expected to be distributed next week to individuals who received the vaccine during the first week.
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On Wednesday, 175,000 Florida residents received their first round of vaccines, although with the elderly population of Florida at around 4 million, the elderly are likely to continue to wait weeks before being vaccinated.
DeSantis said that hospitals and distribution centers are responsible for their own vaccine implantation process, but said that they need to communicate better with people about how they want to move forward with vaccine delivery, adding, “I think the most of them want to have a more organized booking system. “