Vaccine

A wealthy gated community for seniors aged 65 and older in the Florida Keys had been vaccinated by Mid-January , according to a newsletter emailed to its residents.

In addition to expanding appointments at its pharmacies, Publix announced it was adding 136 stores in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Florida’s COVID-19 vaccine eligibility is growing as Governor Ron DeSantis amended a previous executive order, Monday, to expand vaccine access to teachers, firefighters and law enforcement officers 50 and older. Younger people with medical conditions that would make them extremely vulnerable to the virus can also now get the vaccine through physicians’ offices and pharmacies. Previously that demographic’s access to the vaccine was limited to hospitals.Florida expects to receive 175,000 doses of the newly FDA-approved single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine this week.

The order, issued late Friday afternoon, allows physicians to vaccinate people who are deemed “extremely vulnerable” to the disease.

Only about 1 percent of people vaccinated in Sarasota County are Black. Advocates say the distribution process puts underserved communities at a disadvantage. They're fighting to change that.

State health officials reported 7,087 new COVID-19 cases, Wednesday and 127 deaths. Governor Ron DeSantis says he’s expecting a surge in vaccine doses coming to Florida in the coming weeks and that teachers, firefighters and law enforcement officers 50 and older could be next in line to receive the vaccine. DeSantis says he’s also targeting rural counties with relatively low rates of seniors vaccinated such as DeSoto and Hardy and Glades Counties in Southwest Florida. Advocates in Sarasota are fighting to get more vaccine doses to people of color as just 1% of Blacks and 1.5% of Hispanics in the County have received the vaccine. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a complaint filed against Manatee County Commission Chairwoman Vanessa Baugh over alleged misuse of her position in cherry-picking who would receive vaccine doses at a state-run pop-up clinic last week in Lakewood Ranch. The Venice Fire Rescue Department is looking to expand its outreach through a state pilot program aimed at getting vaccines to eligible homebound residents.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires one dose and was found to be 100 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths.

Between 2 million and 4.4 million older adults are homebound and at extremely high risk of dying from COVID-19. Yet, they haven’t been recognized as a priority group for vaccines.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he will use a portion of the “tens of thousands” of extra vaccine doses the FEMA sites bring to the state to vaccinate teachers and law enforcement officers.

The COVID-19 vaccination rate remains low among Black and Hispanic Floridians despite initiatives announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis to bring more shots to underserved communities. Now, the federal government has stepped in