Associated Press
Hundreds of cars streamed bumper-to-bumper into a federally supported vaccination site that appeared to be offering shots to anyone who shows up, breaking from the eligibility requirements set by Gov. Ron DeSantis that was intended to be put seniors at the head of the line.
The availability of the vaccine to a wider population sowed confusion — and hope — among those wanting to protect themselves from a disease that has already infected more than 1.9 million Floridians and killed nearly 32,000.
State officials said they were sorting through the situation. It was unclear what authority state officials might be able to exert on federal facilities.
Already, federal sites in Florida are adhering to federally issued guidelines that allow teachers and other school workers to get vaccinated — instead of complying with the Florida governor’s directive that sets an age minimum of 50 for educators and school staff members.
Because of initially low demand, another federally funded vaccination site in Florida City last weekend began administering shots to any takers, regardless of age. News spread, and the site was inundated the following day, prompting officials there to reimpose age restrictions.
On Tuesday morning, a traffic jam of vehicles formed in a parking lot at Miami Dade College North and a long caravan of cars snaked down a nearby street. Rolls Royces, Bentleys and Porsches took their place in line among ordinary people arriving in their Toyotas, Chevrolets and Fords.
People waited hours to get the vaccine. By 10 a.m., officials at the vaccination site announced they had depleted their supply of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Michael Travin, of Miami, waited for about four hours with his wife and two grown children to get the vaccine. Instead of frustration, the family called itself fortunate to be getting inoculated against COVID-19.
“From the day the vaccine was available, I wanted to have it,” said Travin, 55. He and his children, 20 and 28, packed into their car at around sunrise Tuesday. When they arrived at the vaccination site at 7 a.m., the traffic in front of him snaked through 4 miles (6 kilometers) of streets, he recounted.
His children worried they would not be given shots, but were pleasantly surprised when they were allowed to get vaccinated.
There was no sense of frustration, he said. “I think we were all patient because the reward was worth much more than a few hours of waiting.”
On Monday, DeSantis announced he would lower the eligibility age for the vaccine from 65 to 60, allowing 1.4 million more Floridians to get vaccinated starting next week.
As of Monday, more than 3.6 million Floridians had gotten at least one vaccine shot, almost three-quarters of them 65 years or older. Other eligible groups include law enforcement officers, firefighters, health care workers, teachers and people 16 and older who are extremely vulnerable to the virus.
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