When will high-risk non-seniors get vaccine?

Amid a fast-paced — and sometimes confusing — rollout of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, thousands of COVID-19 vaccination appointments have been booked for shots at various retailers. But still only a fraction of the population has been vaccinated so far in the nationwide push to reach herd immunity. In Orange County, roughly half of seniors have been inoculated.

Dr. Raul Pino, the local state health officer, said this week he expects eligibility to soon broaden for the vaccines, which he credited for a decrease in positive cases among Orange County seniors.

His comments came the same week that the nation’s top infectious disease expert said he expects nearly anybody to be able to receive a vaccine by April.

“If you look at the projection, I would imagine by the time we get to April, that will be what I could call… open season,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in an appearance on the TODAY Show. “Namely, virtually anybody in any category could get vaccinated.”

Here are a list of answers to questions posed by Orlando Sentinel readers, and what we know so far.

We are updating the list regularly, and you may submit your questions to our team of reporters by emailing vaccinequestions@orlandosentinel.com.

I am younger than 65, but have a health condition that makes me high-risk for COVID-19. Can I get the vaccine, and how?

This has been a frequent question, and definitive answers have been hard to come by. Under an executive order from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, only hospitals are authorized to give COVID vaccinations to people under 65 who are deemed to be extremely vulnerable. But not every hospital has received vaccine doses for this purpose, and those that have say there is much more demand than supply.

Adding to the confusion, when Walmart’s online portal for vaccination appointments launched, Floridians with highrisk conditions were listed among those eligible — contradicting the executive order and the governor’s remarks earlier in the week. The retail giant later backtracked and said it listed this group in error. Still, there has been no uniform definition of what “extremely vulnerable” means, so those eligible vary from one hospital to the next.

For instance, AdventHealth is including solid organ transplant and bone marrow transplant patients, as well as adults undergoing cancer treatment, cystic fibrosis patients and those with sickle cell disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and Down syndrome. Also, doctors with both major hospital systems have been calling some patients under 65 deemed extremely vulnerable to make appointments. If you haven’t been contacted and feel you should be eligible, make sure your doctor is aware that you want the vaccine — just know that your doctor may not be able to get you an appointment in the immediate future, either.

When and how can veterans get vaccinated?

Vaccines for veterans are available at Veteran’s Affairs hospitals, including in Orlando. The VA hospital here has limited dosages of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines available and is offering them to veterans who are already receiving care at the VA. Veterans can make appointments for shots at 407-631-0499.

The Orlando system is vaccinating veterans who are at least 65 years old, as well as those who receive VA care and work as fire fighters, police officers or corrections officers, as well as food and agriculture workers. Also eligible: postal service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store staff, public transit workers and educators. You must be enrolled for VA Health Care to receive the shot there, however. For information on how to enroll, visit https://www.orlando. va.gov/services/covid-19-vaccines.asp.

On Feb.16 and Feb. 17, the Lake Baldwin VA Medical Center will have appointments between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. and walk-ins available until 1 p.m. The Orlando VA has administered about 40,000 shots so far.

I am a snowbird who got my first dosage out of state, but now am in Florida. I am not a Florida resident. Can I get vaccinated?

The Florida Department of Health in Orange County will honor a second dosage appointment for a person who received the first dosage out of state, a spokesman confirmed. The agency runs the vaccine location at the Orange County Convention Center.

If I got my first COVID vaccine dose through the county, can I go to Publix or another retailer for my second dose?

It depends. If your first dose was the Pfizer vaccine, ideally you should not go to Publix — which is using the Moderna vaccine — for your second. It’s important to stick with the same brand when possible because this is the way the vaccines were tested in clinical trials.

However, the CDC last month changed guidance for COVID-19 vaccines, saying that patients could mix the Moderna and Pfizer doses in “exceptional situations,” if the same brand is unavailable. If the two places use the same brand, it’s OK to choose a more convenient location, as long as you get your second dose at the recommended time interval. Also, be sure to cancel any appointment you’re not going to use well in advance so that the vaccine doesn’t go to waste. Most Americans still haven’t gotten their first shot.