Some seniors in Florida are so desperate to get vaccinated against the coronavirus that they spent a night camping in line to make first-rate shots, according to reports.
The sidewalk next to the Lakes Regional Library in Fort Myers looked more like one outside of a hot Broadway program, as dozens of seniors sat in folding chairs with blankets for lifesavers Tuesday, WINK News.
“That’s worth it,” said Aaron Stern, 80, who said he had never camped out looking for concert tickets or black Friday deals. “The opportunity to feel safe again and to be able to go out is wonderful.”
Other seniors in the state, where Gov. Ron DeSantis recently issued an order allowing people 65 and older to be vaccinated, said they were willing to face the long lines after seeing friends of the virus die.
“I am afraid of that, and I want to [feel] free, ”said Frank Mihalik, a senior, why he had come.
Other geriatric assistants (who were carrying snacks, refrigerators and sleeping bags) said they were desperate for the vaccination because they miss seeing family members and are fed up with being trapped at home.
Senior Judy Morris said: “I haven’t seen my children in a year … [I’ll do] whatever is necessary. “
Outside Cape Coral’s Estero Park and Rec Center, the number of seniors waiting for shots exceeded capacity by noon Tuesday, two hours before the clinic was scheduled to begin vaccination, according to USA Today.
DeSantis issued an executive order Saturday ignoring recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the priority of the COVID-19 vaccine in allowing seniors to receive shots in front of essential workers.
The order caused long queues at some locations in Lee County, prompting the sheriff’s office to send out a traffic alert due to overcrowding, the newspaper reported.