“In line for Moderna.”
“Hoping for Pfizer.”
“Searching for Johnson & Johnson.”
Florida’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout efforts are set to expand over the coming weeks dramatically.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced March 25 that the state was to expand eligibility for two-dose Moderna and Pfizer and single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines to people ages 40 years and older by March 29.
Then, beginning Monday, April 5, everyone age 18 and older will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, while everyone age 16 and older will be eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine.
DeSantis’ target date to expand statewide vaccine eligibility to all adults is almost a month ahead of President Joe Biden’s May 1 target date to achieve the same goal on a nationwide scale.
According to DeSantis, the move comes as more than 3.2 million Floridians ages 65 and older — around 70% of the 4.4 million seniors in the state — have been vaccinated.
Despite Florida’s large senior population, the state has kept pace with nationwide rollout efforts that have distributed first doses of the vaccine to 71.1% of the same demographic across the country.
More than 5.47 million Floridians had been vaccinated as of March 26, according to the Florida Department of Health.
In Manatee County, more than 118,144 residents have been vaccinated and all registrants over the age of 50 had been contacted at least once as of March 26, according to the DOH.
The county also scheduled 8,000 first-dose and 8,000 second-dose vaccinations for adults age 40 and older March 29-April 2 at Tom Bennett Park and the Manatee County Public Safety Center.
DeSantis’ announcement aired only a week after Manatee County opened registration March 19 to its COVID-19 vaccine standby pool to everyone 18 and over.
County strategic affairs manager Chloe Conboy wrote in a March 26 email to The Islander that opening registration to all adults ahead of time helped the county get ready to reach a broader population. She added that the county’s previous well of registrants had run dry or grown unresponsive.
“We are very pleased with the governor’s decision to expand eligibility because we have already exhausted everyone that’s eligible in our standby pool,” Conboy said. “Right now, we’re seeing 60% of eligible patients in our standby pool not even respond when Manatee County notifies them for an appointment.”
Conboy stressed that, since the county’s registration pool had grown thin, now was a better time than ever to get in line.
“The demand for the vaccine isn’t as high as it was in the beginning and you will be getting scheduled very quickly after you register,” Conboy said. “We are starting to see a significant decline of people registering for the vaccine.”
Carol Whitmore, a Holmes Beach resident and at-large Manatee County commissioner, told The Islander March 26 that she was excited about the changes.
“It’s a good thing and we can handle it,” Whitmore said. “I’m very confident. … It takes a lot of people to do this, but I think we’ve got it down to a science.”
Whitmore — who received her first dose of a vaccine March 9 after sitting through the county’s lottery system for the shots — said she wasn’t concerned about the portion of registrants who’d been unresponsive.
“I think when they see all the people that are getting it with no issues, they’ll come around,” Whitmore said. “There’s a lot of stuff on social media either way that can scare people and keep them away, but vaccines are important.”
“Look at all the millions who’ve had it so far,” she added.
Whitmore said the county had no plans to erect a vaccination site on Anna Maria Island, despite some elected officials calling for such.
“I live on Anna Maria Island and I went up to Tom Bennett Park,” Whitmore said. “It was a piece of cake.”
To register in Manatee County’s vaccination enrollment process, go online to vax.mymanatee.org.
Also, COVID-19 vaccinations are available by appointment, depending on eligibility, at select CVS, Publix, Walgreens, Walmart and Winn-Dixie locations in the county.