Florida will ensure that seniors who do not live in long-term care centers are the first members of the general public to receive doses of a coronavirus vaccine, the governor said. Ron DeSantis
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During a press conference, DeSantis said he plans to sign an executive order that will prioritize people over 65 for the next doses, rather than essential workers.
“We want to work to make it reach our elderly population. We believe it is very important to reduce mortality, reduce the number of people who have to be hospitalized for COVID-19,” DeSantis said.
The movement breaks with the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommends people over the age of 75, as well as essential workers who do not receive health care, such as police officers, health workers. grocery stores, teachers and employees of the vaccine packaging plant as part of “phase 1b”.
The CDC gave priority to health care workers and nursing home residents in the first round of vaccinations, and states adopted most of the same guidelines.
But with limited doses, states and public health officials are forced to ration the shots to very specific populations.
Some states outline specific subgroups in their plans, while others rely on top-tier entrepreneurs, such as hospitals, to determine who should be at the forefront of the line.
Regardless of priorities, vaccinations will take time.
Florida has more than 4 million people in the over-65 age group, DeSantis said, and he advised people to be patient.
“Right now we don’t have enough vaccine to make everyone 65 or older in Florida. We have doses of vaccines for hundreds of thousands,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis said he doesn’t want to prioritize vaccinating younger people, even if they work with “essential” jobs, before someone older.
“It doesn’t make sense for a 42-year-old to go ahead of someone who is 70,” DeSantis said. “I want to make sure that if there is a dose left here in Pensacola for this week, I want it to go to an older person [person]. “
DeSantis said once a hospital has just vaccinated front-line medical workers, care should be given immediately to people over 65.
He did not give a timeline as to when it could be achieved, but noted that since some county health departments are starting to receive small amounts of vaccines, they will start the 65-year-old group and older starting next Monday.
To date, nearly 70,000 shots have been administered to front-line health workers and seniors at long-term care centers in Florida, DeSantis said.
Florida isn’t the only one to break the CDC guidelines for the second round of vaccinations, but states should not follow what the agency recommends. There is no federal mandate on vaccination priorities.
For example, Texas announced this week that it also prioritizes those age 65 or older in “Phase 1b,” but also those who are considered high risk due to certain medical conditions, such as cancer, obesity, heart disease or type 2 diabetes.
“Focusing on people over the age of 65 or who have comorbidities will protect the most vulnerable populations,” said Imelda Garcia, president of the Texas Vaccine Allocation Panel and associate commissioner of laboratory services and infectious diseases. Texas State Department. Health services.
“This approach ensures that jeans with the most severe risk of COVID-19 can be protected between races and ethnicities and regardless of where they work,” Garcia said.
The state does not prioritize teachers, agricultural workers, or other “essential” workers until there is no more supply.
Massachusetts places prisoners and correctional officers in its first round of vaccine recipients, because they work and reside in congregated settings. The first round will include first aid as police officers and firefighters, as well as health workers.
“It’s easy to do, to discount the value of prisoners. But they’re in crowded environments. The virus comes in, they don’t have many options. They’re bound to their guardians,” said John Grabenstein, general manager of the consulting service Vaccine Dynamics.
Experts say it is not irrational for states to deviate from what the CDC recommends and understand that officials are struggling with thorny ethical issues.
States value different populations: some will prioritize stopping the spread of the virus, while others will prioritize limiting the number of deaths. More states are expected to deviate from CDC suggestions in the future.
“I think this speaks to the dilemma of how to balance these things simultaneously with limited doses, the risk of exposure and its consequences, in the face of … morbidity and mortality,” said Bruce Gellin, president of global immunization vaccination. ‘Sabin Vaccine Institute.
“With a limited supply, I think that’s why governors accept the general framework. They can work within it or maybe choose differently, but at least that’s the starting point,” Gellin said.