Should infected people get vaccinated?

The first vaccines are finally arriving. And with them, a slew of pressing questions.

We want to help. We’re collecting and answering your questions about the vaccines. Submit your question using this form or email Cindy Goodman at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.

Q. “If a person has already had the COVID virus, will they need to get the vaccine shots?” — Cheryl Noe, Delray Beach

A. Some say yes, some say we don’t have enough information yet, but no one is saying no at this moment. Most health authorities are leaning toward yes, including the Mayo Clinic and Henry

Ford Health System.

Still the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is non-committal: “CDC cannot comment on whether people who had COVID19 should get a COVID-19 vaccine,” the website says. “There is not enough information currently available to say if or for how long after infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again; this is called natural immunity.”

Q. “Since it appears that we are receiving fewer doses than anticipated, it would be beneficial to supply a daily report on vaccinations in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County. I’m sure it exists and your readers would appreciate seeing this daily. What would it tell us? It will tell us if vaccine is arriving regularly, the pace of arrival, the pace of inoculation, whether it is ready to go to the next phase of distribution, and whether there are hold-ups by hospitals or other distributing agencies.” — David W. Horwitz

A. The Florida Department of Health posts a daily report that lists vaccinations by county, race, gender and age. You can watch the numbers grow each day and look for trends. For example, the largest age contingents getting the vaccinations at the moment are between 25 and 64 years old, likely because they are health care workers. Look for it floridahealthcovid19.gov.

Q. “I’m so worried about the South Florida homeless community’s COVID-19 risk level. Unfortunately there is not a way for them to self-quarantine. Please let the public, including the governor and local representatives, know the homeless should be a high priority. Imagine how much more this will be spread. Look around, there are homeless people EVERYWHERE!” — Rick Shermans

A. You’re right, the homeless are not an interest group that has been loudly pressing Florida to become a priority vaccine group. But they should be, as many lack health care and live in close quarters. Fort Lauderdale has among the highest homeless populations in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it prioritized health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities because of their daily risk of exposure in “high-risk locations.” But the centers acknowledged the homeless, too, face COVID19 risks: “Public health professionals at state and local health departments are now working on how to further distribute COVID19 vaccines in a fair, ethical, and transparent way for additional groups, including considerations for people experiencing homelessness. People experiencing homelessness have many additional characteristics, such as age and employment in certain jobs, that will also influence when the vaccine will be available to them.”

No word yet on how Florida is planning to distribute the vaccine to this community.

Q. “I am a flight attendant. I am 60 years old. When can I take the vaccine?” — Robin Mermelstein, Pompano Beach

A. An executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis, issued on Dec. 23, prioritizes long-term care facility residents and staff, senior citizens over 65 and health care staff with direct patient contact. So even though you could be considered in a high-risk group with the many travelers you come into contact with each day, you’re not a high priority in Florida.

You will probably be able to get a vaccine by spring. While Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says people under 65 should be able to get vaccinations by April, the Trump administration’s health secretary, Alex Azar, is more optimistic, predicting that by “late February, into March,” most adults will be able to get vaccinated at their neighborhood pharmacies.

Q. “Is Florida going to follow the CDC recommendations or is the governor using different ones for vaccination priorities?” Doug Roberts, Pompano Beach

A. Gov. Ron DeSantis has decided to give senior citizens vaccine priority, parting from a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory that recommended the shots be distributed to essential workers, such as teachers, postal workers and bus drivers, at the same time as older populations.

“We’re not going to put young healthy workers ahead of our vulnerable elderly population,” DeSantis said at a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 22, at The Villages near Ocala. “The vaccines are going to be targeted where the risk is the greatest and that is in our elderly population.”

Q. “I’m a U.S. military veteran. Will I be given priority to get the vaccine?”

A. The federal government is working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to deliver vaccines to its medical centers and clinics. During the week of Christmas, the government said 113 medical centers and clinics received “limited” Moderna COVID19 vaccine supplies, including the William “Bill” Kling VA in Sunrise. The same week, 37 VA medical centers and clinics around the country also received the Pfizer vaccine for residents and staff, including the VAs in Miami and West Palm Beach.

If you are already receiving services there, your case manager will schedule you, with priority given by age and risk factors. If you are a military veteran, but don’t receive services, you’ll need to register with the VA first by calling 1-877-222-8387 during business hours.