NEWS: First COVID-19 Vaccinations Begin to Arrive in Florida

The state of Florida will have almost 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine available at the five pre-designated hospitals, including Orlando’s Advent Health, by tomorrow morning.

Universal Orlando Health and Safety Sign

The Pfizer vaccine was set to arrive at the beginning of this week and the first dose has been administered. Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference this morning detailing the vaccine distribution in Florida and what to expect in the next coming months.

DeSantis noted that the vaccine will be reserved for residents of long-term care, healthcare employees, and high-contact frontline workers for the first round of available doses. He hopes to have more doses by the third week of December in which hospitals can start distributing to the next group. After healthcare workers, the focus will be on the elderly and at-risk individuals.

Ron DeSantis During Press Conference

The governor stated that the general public could receive vaccinations by February 2021. He claimed that the doses will most likely not be available before February and could extend beyond that. After the press conference, the first vaccination was given to a Tampa General Hospital frontline nurse.

Frontline Nurse Receiving Vaccine

According to Fox 35, 20,000 of the almost 180,000 Florida doses will reportedly go to AdentHealth. 81,900 doses will go to CVS and Walgreens for residents in long-term care facilities. After that, 97,500 doses will go to the five designated hospitals.

COVID-19 Vaccine Press Conference

DeSantis anticipates the second vaccine type, Moderna, to arrive next week and the Pfizer doses to be refilled for the next two weeks. He estimated that the hospitals will receive around 700-750 thousand doses in December.