DeSantis announces expansion of programs to distribute vaccinations
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at an Aventura synagogue Thursday to announce an interfaith vaccination effort, as well as a pilot program to set aside hundreds of coronavirus vaccines for homebound seniors.
For the pilot program, he said, 1,500 doses of the vaccine were reserved for those 65 and older who are homebound, including 750 for Holocaust survivors.
“Not everyone can go to a drivethru site; not everyone can go to a hospital,” the governor said at the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center in Miami-Dade County.
Just before arriving at the synagogue, the governor visited Judy Rodan, an 83-year-old Aventura resident who survived the Holocaust as a child. “If we vaccinate all the seniors who want it, that is the best tool to reduce mortality and save lives,” he said. “We owe our seniors for serving as an inspiration to so many people.”
DeSantis said he wants to roll out similar programs to reach more homebound seniors across Florida. About 75% of those vaccinated thus far are older than 65, he said. But Florida still needs to vaccinate about 70% of its 4.5 million seniors.
For the interfaith initiative, the first of its kind in Florida, members of the Aventura synagogue are joining members from a Broward Islamic center and a Miami Gardens church to provide 500 vaccines for senior citizens. On Thursday, seniors waited in line at the Aventura synagogue to get their vaccines.
Rosa Bayron, 80, took an Uber from Boynton Beach to get her shot, after learning about the opportunity from a church member. Atef Basyouni, 66, and
Joan Khan, 71, made the drive from Plantation to get vaccinated at the synagogue. They landed their appointment on Monday after receiving a text from the Greater Islamic Center. “This was my first attempt,” Kahn said. “It went smooth. I’m glad I waited and went about it this way.”
As seniors continue to flood phone banks and appointment lines, more supply is on the way, DeSantis said.
By next week, Publix, Winn-Dixie and Walmart could receive the state’s initial distributions of vaccines offered through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.
“That will be able to expand the footprint further,” he said. “Those are tens of thousands of extra doses to each of those places on a weekly basis. If we were to get a half-million or a million initial doses in a week, they would be able to rip through a lot of it.”
The new program is on top of Florida’s existing partnership with Publix to administer the state’s vaccine allotment. Over 300 Publix pharmacies in 23 counties are offering the shots.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Florida’s weekly allotment of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines is increasing next week. This week Florida received 307,000 doses, which will get distributed through hospitals, pharmacies, county health departments and state-supported sites like parks.
“We think we are going to see another modest increase and that’s going to allow
us to do more things,” the governor said.
DeSantis also said he remains committed to reserving second doses of the vaccine instead of putting them out as first doses. “When those come, those are going to places where you had your first dose. As long as the federal government sends them, they are not going to be diverted,” he said. He expects Florida to be giving out up to 60,000 second doses a day by next week.
Florida, like other states, awaits the new Johnson &
Johnson vaccine, which could get Emergency Use Authorization in the next few weeks. DeSantis said this new vaccine with less stringent refrigeration requirements could make its way out to seniors quickly.
“If we continue with these vaccines, then COVID is not going to be able to have a resurgence as we get into March and April and into the summer when we had our worst outbreak,” he said. “It’s really important to keep up the momentum.”
DeSantis said lanes could be added to the Hard Rock Stadium, The Villages, and other drive-thru sites where demand is high — if more supply arrives.
“We stand ready to vaccinate all of our seniors, all of our people with special health needs, everybody,” said Daniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade County. “We have the distribution mechanism, we just need the vaccine.”