Gov. Ron DeSantis is continuing to ask the White House for more first doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
DeSantis said the state has received some 1.7 million first doses, and has used up at least 1.25 million of those.
He says remaining shots in the state’s supply have already been earmarked for seniors who are scheduled to receive second doses this week. And he's not planning on diverting those doses for first doses anytime soon.
“Seniors want it. We’re going to do it. So if the implication is you should be giving those doses away to other people. That’s not the way the FDA has prescribed it.”
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DeSantis’ comments came at a press conference announcing Publix pharmacies in Indian River and St. Lucie counties will distribute the vaccine to people 65 and older.
He says most residents can now get the shot at a grocery store near them.
“And we have the throughput that if we can get more first doses given to Florida, we would be able to do that much more that much quickly and so that is really the number one thing that we can get help from the federal government on because we’re at the mercy of whatever is sent.”
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The CDC says it sent Florida 2.9 million doses of the vaccine, but that the Florida Department of Health says only 1.5 million doses have been used.
