Scott Powers
Orange County has received its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and expects to start vaccinating local paramedics, emergency medical technicians and other first responders soon, officials announced.
The Florida Department of Health in Orange County received the shipment of 16,000 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday.
That clears the way for vaccinations of EMTs, paramedics and other emergency personnel who are in the state’s priority A1 distribution list.
“We have been planning for this day for many months,” said Dr. Raul Pino, Health Officer for the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, in a news release from the county. “This initial shipment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine not only gives us the ability to protect the local emergency workers who will serve as vaccinators in the future but also limits the spread of the COVID-19 virus within the community.”
Following the initial distributions to high-risk frontline health care workers and longterm care facility staff and residents, the state of Florida will work to provide vaccine to additional priority groups.
“This is a significant and an exciting step to learn that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has arrived to the Florida Department of Health in Orange County,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said in the release.
“Our staff and support teams are standing by to assist the Florida Department of Health in Orange County’s efforts to vaccinate the county’s EMS workers. While this milestone represents the first step to get the public back to normal, it is important to understand that it will be a long process and the opportunity for mass vaccination will not be for months. That’s why it is essential to continue to wear a face covering and abide by CDC guidelines,” Demings added.
Orange County has suffered more than 70,000 cases of COVID-19 infections since the pandemic broke out in March. In recent weeks, the county has been averaging more than 1,500 new cases a day.
In Orange County, 717 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19.
