:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/02-26-2021/t_6038e08ca9444ed5a46753b0003af463_name_EWC_vaccination_site.jpg)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On Friday people who made an appointment to get the COVID-19 vaccine on Friday morning at the new community site Edward Waters College were removed because they had been allowed to pre-register even though they did not meet the requirements.
The medical staff operating the site said its digital registration program allowed people to sign up without having to do a proper age review. Currently, in Florida, only priority is given to the COVID-19 vaccine for people 65 years of age or older and health care workers.
Due to the error, dozens of people registered through the online system, received a confirmation of the QR code and were asked to come to the vaccine site and present the code to receive the vaccine. Agape Family Health Center staff told News4Jax that the registration system did not notify people who were not of sufficient age or profession to qualify under current guidelines.
Announcements
Gov. Ron DeSantis visited EWC on Thursday to announce a new vaccination site for COVID-19 at the former James Weldon Johnson Middle School Gym on campus. The state-run site will offer 200 vaccines a day, seven days a week, and will target residents of northwest Jacksonville, DeSantis said.
Officials who ran the site encouraged people to register online, but people can also make an appointment in person.
Mia Jones, CEO of Agape, which is helping the state run the site, said residents in the New Town neighborhood will have priority. Registration will be based on the postal code.
The school site was one of six COVID-19 vaccination sites that opened Thursday to provide greater access to the vaccine in neglected populations in Broward, Duval, Leon, Miami-Dade and Osceola counties.
“This place is especially important to the seniors of northwest Jacksonville and we are very pleased that EWC continues its legacy as a shocking leading resource for all citizens of our city and in particular for the residents of New Town, many of whom represent a demographic population affected by this horrific COVID-19 virus, “said EWC President Dr. A. Zachary Faison Jr.
Announcements
DeSantis said Thursday that the age of Florida residents who can receive the coronavirus vaccine will be reduced “sometime in March.”
“I said from the beginning that we will reduce age and as soon as we are in a situation where the elderly are cared for, we already know, we will try to do that,” DeSantis said. “So it will happen, I would say, without a doubt, except for any problems with the distribution of the vaccine, I’m sure you’ll see the lowest age sometime in March, for sure.”
The visit to Jacksonville comes just days after DeSantis announced that police and classroom teachers over the age of 50 will have the opportunity to get vaccinated at federal locations that open in the state next week, including a Jacksonville.
Announcements
“We believe we can do it with the additional vaccine without this affecting the elderly population,” DeSantis said.
Desantis on Wednesday pushed back criticism of his administration for failing to set its priority group for the next phase of vaccine deployment, unlike other states.
“If you notice, a lot of these people adopted plans and then they had to change them. We didn’t. We looked at the ACIP and CDC recommendations and we rejected them respectively and said we put the our seniors first, ”DeSantis said.
DeSantis said Wednesday that his administration does not want to open vaccines to more groups and not have supply available to meet demand.
“We will do it based on the facts and circumstances on the ground. Based on the availability of vaccines and based on the progress of overcoming the population aged 65 and over, ”DeSantis said.
Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax – All rights reserved.