Jason Delgado
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said Florida will receive 179,400 Pfizer vaccine doses to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
DeSantis said the first shipment is expected to arrive in the Sunshine State within the week. The vaccine will then be prioritized for long-term care facility residents and health care workers.
The Governor added that strike teams will be mobilized to “supplement vaccination” for long-term care residents.
“They are at the greatest risk and this vaccine could have a positive impact on them, not just protecting them from COVID but allowing them to return to a more normal life,” DeSantis said in the video announcement.
Next in line for the vaccine: health care workers.
According to the Governor’s announcement, 97,500 Pfizer vaccines will be delivered to hospitals for high-exposure health care personnel, 60,450 will go to CVS and Walgreens for long-term care facilities and 21,450 will go to strike teams serving long-term care facilities.
“We are working to get as much vaccine for our citizens as possible, but Florida will not, nor will any state, have enough to vaccinate everyone right off the bat,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis expects the vaccine supply to increase in the coming weeks, broadening access for elderly residents and those at high risk for COVID-19 complications.
Meanwhile, the Governor noted several other vaccines may soon receive Food and Drug Administration approval. He particularly mentioned vaccines by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
The Pfizer vaccine presents unique challenges including stringent storage requirements, refrigeration, and two doses 21 days apart.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, requires one dose and is more easily stored.
“We are looking forward to clinical trials concluding for Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine,” DeSantis said.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is expected to receive FDA approval in January and may begin distribution as early as February.
The Governor’s Thursday night announcement comes as the Pfizer vaccine is beginning to be used worldwide including in Great Britain and Canada.
A retired British shop clerk, 91-year-old Margaret Keenan, received the first shot in the United Kingdom’s COVID-19 vaccination program on Tuesday.
