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Florida will ensure that seniors who do not live in long-term care facilities are the first members of the general public to receive doses of a coronavirus vaccine, Gov. Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis Republican club’s indoor holiday party in Queens goes viral for conga line Florida health scientist ousted from filing complaint for state raid of his home UK pushes White House lift the travel ban: PLUS report (R) said Wednesday.
At a press conference, DeSantis said it plans to sign an executive order that will prioritize people over the age of 65 for future doses, rather than essential workers.
“We want to work to make this problem known to our elderly population. We think it is very important to reduce mortality, reduce the number of people who need to be hospitalized for COVID-19,” DeSantis said.
The move breaks with advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommended that people over 75, as well as essential non-healthcare workers, such as police officers, grocery store workers , teachers and workers at the meat packing plant, receive the vaccine as part of “phase 1b”.
The CDC has prioritized health workers and nursing home residents during the first round of immunizations, and states have generally adopted the same guidelines.
But with limited doses, states and public health officials are forced to ration vaccines to very specific populations.
Some states describe specific subgroups in their plans, while others rely on frontline employers, such as hospitals, to determine who should be on the front line.
Whatever the priorities, vaccinations will take time.
Florida has more than 4 million people over the age of 65, DeSantis said, and advised people to be patient.
“We don’t have enough vaccines for everyone 65 and over in Florida right now. We have vaccine doses in the hundreds of thousands,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis said he did not want to prioritize immunizing young people, even if they are in “essential” jobs, over an older person.
“It doesn’t make sense for someone who is 42 to be 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 sent to an elderly person. [person]. “
DeSantis said that once a hospital finishes immunizing frontline medical workers, attention should immediately be paid to people over the age of 65.
He did not give a timeline as to when this could be accomplished, but noted that as some county health departments start receiving small amounts of vaccines, they will start the 65 and over group as early as next Monday. .
So far, about 70,000 vaccines have been given to frontline healthcare workers and seniors in long-term care facilities in Florida, DeSantis said.
Florida isn’t alone in breaking the CDC’s guidelines for the second round of vaccinations, but states are not obligated to follow what the agency recommends. There is no federal mandate on immunization priorities.
For example, Texas announced this week that it is also prioritizing those 65 and over in “phase 1b”, but also those considered high risk due to certain medical conditions, such as cancer, obesity, heart disease, or type 2 diabetes.
“Focusing on people aged 65 and over or who have co-morbidities will protect the most vulnerable populations,” said Imelda Garcia, chair of the Texas Vaccine Allocation Committee and Associate Commissioner for Laboratory Services and infectious disease at the Texas State Department. Health services.
“This approach ensures that Texans most at risk of COVID-19 can be protected across races and ethnicities and no matter where they work,” Garcia said.
The state does not prioritize teachers, agricultural workers or other “essential” workers until there is more supply.
Massachusetts places prisoners and prison officers in its first round of vaccines because they work and reside in communities. The first round will include first responders such as police and firefighters, as well as health workers.
“It’s easy to do, to reduce the value of the prisoners. But they are in collective places. The virus comes in, they don’t have much choice. They are indebted to their guards,” said John Grabenstein, director general of the Vaccine Dynamics advisory service.
Experts say it’s not unreasonable for states to deviate from what the CDC recommends, and they understand officials are grappling with thorny ethical issues.
States value different populations – some will prioritize stopping the spread of the virus, while others will prioritize limiting the death toll. More states are expected to deviate from CDC suggestions in the future.
“I think that answers the dilemma of how to balance these things simultaneously with limited doses, the risk of exposure and its consequences, versus the … morbidity and mortality,” said Bruce Gellin, president of immunization. global for the Sabin Vaccine Institute.
“With limited supply, I think that’s why governors welcome the general framework. They can work on it, or maybe choose differently, but at least that’s the starting point,” Gellin said.
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