Floridians 60 and older will soon be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine. At a press conference in Tallahassee Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the eligibility age for the vaccine would be lowered from 65-plus to 60-plus starting Monday next week.
“Each little five year wicket in the age distribution, you’re looking at, what is that, about almost two million people, a million and a half, two million people each one you do," said DeSantis.
"I imagine the demand will be slightly lower for 60 to 64 than it was for above 65, but we do anticipate the demand to still be pretty robust.”
DeSantis said he hopes the state will get another shipment of the Johnson and Johnson single-shot vaccine by next week.
Florida Democrats, including Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, have criticized the governor for lack of clarity on the rollout plan for the vaccine.
Fried said the state should make it easier for residents to prove they are medically vulnerable and eligible for a vaccine. People who are medically vulnerable need to have a form filled out by their physician showing they qualify for the vaccine.
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Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Democratic State Rep. Ramon Alexander called on Gov. DeSantis to make it easier for the medically vulnerable to prove eligibility for vaccination, and for more transparency on the vaccine rollout plan. Photo: Nikki Fried / Facebook[/caption]
In a press conference in Tallahassee today, Fried said that is too restrictive.
“Let an individual come up and show you their prescription. Let them show you a doctor’s note. Or let them show you different types of forms of medical history or other types of medical bills. That way, more and more people can actually have access to these vaccines and prove that they are medically vulnerable, and not have to get a note from their doctor.”
Fried was joined at the press conference by Democratic State Rep. Ramon Alexander of Tallahassee who called for more transparency in how vaccines are distributed.
It is so critically important that we take the necessary steps to be transparent," said Alexander.
"We have a hodge podge of outcomes, because we have miscommunication, misinformation.”