Why not use schools as vaccination sites?

Have a question about South Florida schools and COVID-19? Sun Sentinel reporter Lois Solomon will find the answer. Email your question to AskLois@ sunsentinel.com.

“Why aren’t we using schools as vaccination sites? All communities, rich and poor, have schools. In the 1950s, schools were used for polio vaccine. Health departments and/or FEMA could give the shots.” — Steve Rivlin, Lake Worth

This is a very logical idea, as schools are centrally located in the middle of communities, but it’s not going to happen, for several reasons.

The main reason is that Florida schools are open now and would not be amenable to having hordes of people waiting in line, causing traffic jams and potentially bringing

COVID-19 onto campus when kids are there. Security has become super-tight on school campuses, especially since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shootings in Parkland in 2017, and few adults who are not staff are allowed in the buildings. Now, during COVID19, even parents are not allowed in.

Palm Beach County schools did open up four schools as sites for educators to get vaccines on a recent weekend. But the events weren’t open to the general public, and didn’t take place when school was in session.

South Florida’s schools are closed on Election Day for similar reasons: Officials don’t want kids mixing with the general population of adults.

“I am helping a 16-yearold

with a Florida Department of Health form to get the vaccine. He tried going to the FEMA site at MiamiDade College but was rejected because they said it’s 18 and up. I was trying to find out about Hard Rock if they would administer to a 16-yearold and no one I called at any of the hotlines knew the answer. Do you know if they would administer the vaccine for him there?” — Akiva Jeger

As long as he has that form filled out by a doctor, he should be able to get vaccinated at the Hard Rock. CVS, Marlins Park and Jackson Health are also possibilities. Check out the Sun-Sentinel’s list of all the sites and their rules before going.

“Young day care teachers are being turned down by the Palm Beach fairgrounds vaccination center. Any reason why some sites (such as CVS) take all workers and this place doesn’t? Aren’t all rules the same across the state?” — Eddy Sarnow

Unfortunately the rules are different at each site, and it’s quite bewildering to people trying to understand Florida’s vaccine system. Some operate under state rules, others under federal guidelines. Here’s how Thomas Cleare, a spokesman for the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, which runs the South Florida Fairgrounds site, explained the problem:

“The Health Care District operates the vaccine sites according to the Florida governor’s executive order and the populations designated there,” Cleare said. “There are other vaccine sites that receive federal vaccine distributions that follow other criteria.”

I recommend you try CVS, Publix or Walmart. Check out the Sun-Sentinel’s daily vaccine update for all the rules at each site.

“How can I get a vaccine? I’m a teacher and I’m 38.” — Nancy, Palm Beach County teacher

Of the many confusing rules of the Florida vaccine roll-out, the rules for teachers have been the most confusing.

Some sites will only vaccinate teachers over 50, and others will give a shot to any teacher. That’s because there’s an order from Gov. Ron DeSantis that authorizes vaccines only to educators 50 and up, but federal guidelines allow it for all ages.

Your best bet would be a pharmacy at Publix, Walmart or CVS. All are vaccinating teachers of all ages.

It looks like the rules are going to keep changing almost daily. Broward schools gave the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to its employees age 50 and older last week at a drive-up site at T.Y. Park in Hollywood, but eligibility will expand to school employees of all ages starting March 16.