Florida lowered the age limit to get vaccinated Monday.
Now, anyone over the age of 60 in Florida is eligible to get the vaccine. Gov. Ron DeSantis said he thinks Florida will drop the age to 55 later this month.
And DeSantis said he thinks Florida will beat President Joe Biden’s deadline to open vaccine eligibility to any adult who wants it by May 1.
“The 55 will happen sometime in March, for sure,” DeSantis said. “But I think as we get into April we’ll be looking to do it. So I think it will certainly be before May 1 we’ll be able to open it up to all adults.”
But DeSantis said he disagrees with Biden’s messaging that people who are fully vaccinated should still wear masks and maintain social distance.
“I think it’s a little bit odd when you say get the vaccine it’s important but then nothing changes when you get the vaccine,” DeSantis said. “No, we think the vaccine is good and the whole reason to get the vaccine is to be able to protect yourself and to not have to worry like you’ve had to worry.”
Currently, first responders are eligible to get the vaccine, as well as health care workers who have direct contact with patients. And any adult with medical conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19 can get vaccinated with a note from a doctor. Anyone working in a school can also get vaccinated, regardless of age.
About 3 percent of Floridians have missed the second dose of their COVID-19 vaccine, according to a CDC report released Monday. That translates to about 33,000 Floridians have missed their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
That’s actually good news — especially since more recent studies show that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine provide significant protection with just one dose.
The CDC analyzed data from December to February, looking at whether people got their second dose within the recommended time frame.
It found 95 percent of people who got their second dose got it on time. But 3.1 percent of Florida residents have missed their second dose.
Florida matches nearly identically with the U.S. average. Nationwide, Louisiana has the lowest rate of people missing their second dose at less than 1 percent. Nearly 8 percent of people in Virginia missed their second dose – the highest rate in the U.S.
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