Florida expands vaccine eligibility to anyone over 60.

All residents 60 and up will qualify for shots as of March 15

If you’re 60 or older, you’re almost in luck: The eligibility age for COVID vaccination in Florida will drop starting Monday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state will lower the age for COVID vaccination from 65 to 60 on March 15, a move that would make about 2 million more people in the state eligible. The eligibility change would apply at state-supported walk-up and drive-thru sites as well as pharmacies and pop-up locations.

“We are starting to see demand soften a little bit,” DeSantis said at a news briefing in Tallahassee. “Appointments at pharmacies used to be taken in minutes. Now appointment windows are open 10 minutes or longer.”

The governor said already Florida has reached about 2.6 million people 65 or older with at least one dose. “We have more to do and will continue to do seniors first,” he said. “We look forward to a strong week this week. We anticipate hitting 3 million.”

Last week the state vaccinated

about 90,000 people a day, DeSantis said. In the next few days the state’s allotment of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be gone, he said.

Florida will receive 645,180 doses of the three COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government this week, an increase of nearly 200,000 over the previous week

In total, 3.5 million Floridians have received at least one dose of the Pfizer,

Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

When the governor’s executive order shifting the age requirement downward takes effect, Floridians eligible for a coronavirus vaccine under state policy will be long-term care facility residents and staff; people aged 60 and older; frontline health care workers; and sworn law enforcement, K-12 employees and firefighters aged 50 or older.

CARLINE JEAN/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL Verben Grier, of Miramar, receives the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a FEMA COVID-19 vaccinations site at Miami Dade College North Campus on Friday.