Earlier last week, Florida still did not allow health care providers to preorder COVID-19 vaccines for young children after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for children. This act triggered anger in the public alongside medical professionals and the federal government, pressuring Florida to allow vaccine orders this Friday, June 17th.
Florida, unlike the other 49 states and the District of Columbia, did not allow health care providers to preorder the vaccines ahead of the federal government’s June 14 deadline. Consequently, no doses were distributed to pediatricians, children’s hospitals and other physicians during the first wave of vaccine shipments, starting Monday. The second wave of pre-ordered doses, which Florida also failed to accept, is scheduled to arrive about a week after.
The public’s response to the state of Florida was well expected. The White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Ashish K. Jha also expressed his displeasure to reporters: “The state of Florida intentionally missed multiple deadlines to order vaccines to protect its youngest kids.”
In an attempt to rebuttal the public’s concerns, Bryan Griffin, a deputy press secretary for Mr. DeSantis argues, “We have always maintained the position that the state of Florida has chosen not to be involved in the preordering or distribution of the vaccine for children under 5,” he said. “The state of Florida does not recommend the vaccine be administered to healthy children,” he added.
Vaccinations for very young children are usually given by pediatricians, but unlike pharmacies participating in the federal Covid vaccine program, doctors cannot order vaccine doses on their own.
On Thursday, Mr. DeSantis defended his administration’s refusal to preorder any vaccines for state-run medical facilities. That includes county-level public health offices, which are under state control. By Friday morning, a congressional subcommittee overseeing the coronavirus response had sent Mr. DeSantis a letter urging him to reverse his position.
After all the contemptuous pressure from the public, families would be able to vaccinate very young children at doctors offices, though later than in every other state in the country.
Florida, unlike the other 49 states and the District of Columbia, did not allow health care providers to preorder the vaccines ahead of the federal government’s June 14 deadline. Consequently, no doses were distributed to pediatricians, children’s hospitals and other physicians during the first wave of vaccine shipments, starting Monday. The second wave of pre-ordered doses, which Florida also failed to accept, is scheduled to arrive about a week after.
The public’s response to the state of Florida was well expected. The White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Ashish K. Jha also expressed his displeasure to reporters: “The state of Florida intentionally missed multiple deadlines to order vaccines to protect its youngest kids.”
In an attempt to rebuttal the public’s concerns, Bryan Griffin, a deputy press secretary for Mr. DeSantis argues, “We have always maintained the position that the state of Florida has chosen not to be involved in the preordering or distribution of the vaccine for children under 5,” he said. “The state of Florida does not recommend the vaccine be administered to healthy children,” he added.
Vaccinations for very young children are usually given by pediatricians, but unlike pharmacies participating in the federal Covid vaccine program, doctors cannot order vaccine doses on their own.
On Thursday, Mr. DeSantis defended his administration’s refusal to preorder any vaccines for state-run medical facilities. That includes county-level public health offices, which are under state control. By Friday morning, a congressional subcommittee overseeing the coronavirus response had sent Mr. DeSantis a letter urging him to reverse his position.
After all the contemptuous pressure from the public, families would be able to vaccinate very young children at doctors offices, though later than in every other state in the country.
