coronavirus vaccine

The Florida Legislature wants to stop scammers from taking advantage of people seeking vaccine doses. Fraudsters created fake internet pages designed to look like Pasco and Pinellas County Health Departments and charged money for fake vaccination appointments. And they aren’t the only ones.

Florida expects to receive another 250-thousand vaccines in a week. That’s according to Surgeon General Scott Rivkees. The state is prioritizing vaccinations for people 65 and older, and the federal government recently revised its guidelines to do the same. In Florida, about 4.5 million people fit that category.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday that he is expanding the Publix supermarket chain’s “footprint” in COVID-19 vaccination efforts and is sending vaccine doses to 26 stores in five Northwest Florida counties.

Floridians have been left confused and frustrated by the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. While most expected a unified distribution plan the responsibility has been passed on to the state’s 67 local health departments—which has led to a patchwork of policies. But Florida Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz says he thinks those kinks will soon get worked out. He spoke during a virtual press conference Wednesday.

To get a COVID-19 vaccine, seniors in many counties across the state must set their appointments online. But some rural health departments in the Panhandle are taking a low-tech approach to scheduling.

School teachers are calling for a change in the vaccine distribution plan created by Governor Ron DeSantis. While DeSantis says he’s prioritizing the highly vulnerable elderly population first, school employees are asking to be included on the priority list. Scott Mazur is the president of the Leon Classroom Teachers Association.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is announcing plans to open additional vaccination sites, as well as converting current COVID-19 testing sites. He says about 80% of COVID-19 vaccines sent to the state have been given to hospitals across Florida.

Emphasizing that his focus remains on Florida's elderly population, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday said teachers and school staff should not expect to be prioritized for vaccination against COVID-19 --- at least for now.

The first wave of COVID-19 vaccinations in Florida went primarily to people under age 65, as Gov. Ron DeSantis says the state is pivoting to give the vast majority of shots to seniors due to their increased risk of illness and death from the coronavirus.

Florida will receive 179,400 doses of Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine in its first shipment from the federal government, Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a video recording released Thursday evening.