DeSantis: Vaccines to expand beyond age 65

New Broward College inoculation site also announced

Floridians under age 65 should have access to a COVID-19 vaccine in March, and it should be widely distributed the month after, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday.

DeSantis made the prediction during an appearance at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, where he also announced new vaccination sites, including Broward College, for hard-to-reach populations.

DeSantis said the focus remains on seniors, but he sees other ages becoming eligible soon with 47% of seniors now vaccinated. He also cited expectations that a new Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be approved this week and signs showing that demand may be softening.

“I would say without question, barring any questions with the vaccine distribution, we’re going to see the age lowered sometime in March,” he said.

The governor did not say for sure what ages would come in the next round. At a minimum, he said, it would be those over 60. He also announced Tuesday that teachers and law enforcement officers over 50 will be able to get vaccinated soon at four sites planned by the federal government.

By April, “this thing is not going to be very difficult to get,” DeSantis said. “Supply will be robust. In the next four to six weeks, you’ll see this turn a corner.”

DeSantis has said previously that younger people could be vaccinated soon, but he was more specific about the time frame on Thursday.

During an afternoon appearance at a senior community in Fort Pierce, he said he wants to make sure the oldest residents have ample opportunities to be vaccinated first.

“The minute you lower the age, whether it’s 60 or 55, there’s going to be a lot of those folks who are going to crush the system, so if we still have folks who are 68 or 78 trying to get on, I don’t want to end up drowning them out,” he said. “But as soon as we see demand peter down from the seniors, then we obviously want to open it up to be able to get more folks.”

To continue the focus on seniors, DeSantis also announced that Broward College will be home to a new COVID-19 vaccine site to try to reach underserved populations of those 65 and older who may not have easy

access to a hospital or retail pharmacy. Four other regions — Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Kissimmee and Miami-Dade County — will get similar sites.

He said the sites will be modeled after a site opened in early February in Pahokee in western Palm Beach County, after residents complained of the lack of access to a Publix, which at the time was the only retail pharmacy offering the vaccines. Since then, additional vaccine sites have been opened at Walmart, CVS and Winn-Dixie locations.

Broward College’s site will be on its north campus in Coconut Creek. The location will accept walk-ups, as well as those who have been scheduled appointments. The site is intended to serve residents in communities who have faced challenges accessing other vaccination sites, the college says.

The site will be open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. starting today. It will operate from the Omni Auditorium on North Campus, at 1000 Coconut Creek Blvd. The site will be open for a minimum of two months, and 200 vaccines will be available each day on a first-come, first-served basis.

Right now, only health care workers with direct patient contact and people 65 and older are eligible. To see if you are eligible and for more information, go to myvaccine.fl.gov or call 954-559-8321.

“After having the privilege of supporting our partners and residents in a number of ways throughout this pandemic, it is now our privilege to provide a site for COVID-19 vaccinations,” said Broward College President Gregory Adam Haile. “We have been gifted with the capacity to serve, and we are intent on optimizing our service to our community.”

Two other South Florida sites will also be added; the Father Gerard Jean-Juste Community Center at Oak Grove Park, 690 NE 159th St.,

Miami, and Overtown parking lot, 1551 NW 1st Ave. in Miami.

DeSantis said he’s seeing a positive effect from the vaccines so far.

“There is a sense of relief when people get the shot,” he said in Fort Pierce. “You want to move on with life. you want to be able to live it to the fullest, and you don’t want anything holding you back. I think its’ good for the health and to save lives. But i think it’s also going ot be good for people’s peace of mind.”