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Nearly 50,000 people in Florida who received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine are late for the second.
The two immunizations approved for emergency use authorization in the United States – Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna – each require a booster injection three or four weeks apart.
According to the Florida Department of Health, about 1.03 million people received at least one injection and more than 93,000 returned for their second injection.
However, a total of 45,056 people missed their shot – a figure that has risen 10% in the past three days, according to health department data.
Some health experts say older people delay their second date because they fear serious side effects like fever, headache, and chills.
There is currently no national database to track people who are late for their second photo, and Florida is the first state to report this issue.
Of the 1.03 million people in Florida who have received at least one coronavirus vaccine, 45,056 are late for their second dose. Pictured: A medical worker administers a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Kathy Veltman at a COVID-19 vaccination site at the Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds in Plant City, Fla., Jan.13
The Florida Department of Health declined to answer questions about whether those responsible are affected and why people missed their second shot
Dr Jason Salemi, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that it is not known what is the meaning of people who miss their injections without knowing why they are late.
He said this could be due to a number of factors, including people not knowing when to get their second injection or even a delay in reporting.
“Without knowing the ‘why’ here, it’s hard to know if this should be of concern,” said Salemi.
“ At the moment I’m not worried, but if that number continues to rise … or the reasons why the second dose is missed are worrisome (for example, no dose available, people unable to get to their timely appointments), then I would think of effective solutions.
However, some experts say they expect such a situation to occur.
“ I heard that some older people were hesitant to receive the second stroke because they had heard that the side effects were worse with the second stroke, ” Todd Husty, Seminole County EMS medical director told WESH 2.
Data from clinical trials have shown that many volunteers receiving the second dose experienced worse side effects such as fever, headache, fatigue, chills and shortness of breath.
But officials say it’s a sign the vaccine is working and the immune system is responding.
Husty told WESH 2 that the best solution is to let the general public know that the virus itself is much worse than the side effects and that symptoms like headache or fever can be alleviated with Tylenol.
Jason Mahon, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health, told the Sun Sentinel that 80% of people who were due for their second dose had received it.
Health experts say some older people might worry about side effects from the second dose, which is known to be stronger than the first. Pictured: Residents of The Palace assisted living facility in Coral Gables, Fla., Line up to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on January 12
In a statement Thursday, Governor Ron DeSantis urged vaccinated Floridians not to forgo their second injection.
However, he did not respond to questions about why people are late or if state officials are concerned.
The state Department of Health did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Dr Joshia Lenchus, chief medical officer at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, told the Sun Sentinel that the two doses are insufficient to give the body time to build an immune response while reducing side effects.
The booster dose of Pfizer is given 21 days after the first injection while the Moderna vaccine is given after 28 days.
Lenchus said there is a four-day window in which it is ideal to distribute the second shot, but he recommends always taking it out of that window.
“I would suggest to always have it,” he told The Sun Sentinel.
“I wouldn’t walk all at once feeling protected.
In a statement posted on Twitter Thursday, Governor Ron DeSantis urged Floridians to receive their second dose
While there are discussions at the federal level on how to distribute vaccine doses and whether booster shots should be ‘withheld,’ Florida has committed to enforce the two-dose schedule for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, ” he wrote.
“One dose seems to offer some protection, but 95% effectiveness was only achieved by taking the booster.
“This means that while the mode of distribution can change, the need for the recall will not. Florida wants all seniors to receive timely booster shots.
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