Florida seniors begin swarming coronavirus vaccination sites
Source: Tampa Bay Times
Hundreds of seniors formed long lines outside testing sites camping out overnight with lawn chairs and blankets to get vaccinated.
Joel and Susan Pittelman, from Naples wait in line to receive COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday at East County Regional Library in Lehigh Acres. [ ANDREW WEST/THE NEWS-PRESS (AP) ]
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis begged for patience from anxious seniors waiting their turn to get inoculated against COVID-19, as confusion and frustration arose over the availability of the life-saving vaccine among some of the states most vulnerable.
At a testing site in southwest Florida, hundreds of seniors formed long lines outside testing sites camping out overnight with lawn chairs and blankets to get vaccinated. Before the sun had even risen Wednesday morning, the countys vaccine supply for the day was already accounted for, prompting officials to turn down anyone else who was arriving.
Seniors in other parts of the state were frustrated by busy phone lines and websites that would no longer issue new vaccination appointments.
DeSantis has prioritized Floridians older than 65 to be next in line for the states stock of vaccine, now that most health care workers and other first responders are protected against the virus that has infected more than 1.2 million Floridians and killed more than 21,000.
More than 82 percent of those who have died from the disease have been older than 65, underscoring the urgency in getting older Floridians vaccinated, the governor said Wednesday.
Read more: https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/12/30/florida-seniors-begin-swarming-coronavirus-vaccination-sites/
Skittles
(152,918 posts)I'm glad they're getting the shots but jeez, how long have the authorities had to plan for this?
HUAJIAO
(2,362 posts)Eugene
(61,563 posts)Arne
(1,964 posts)Clearly fogged in
(1,895 posts)Naples is in Collier County and Lehigh Acres is in Lee County. Lehigh Acres is a rural community with far fewer resources and home to working families, many of whom cannot afford the higher housing costs of either Lee or Collier counties. Why am I not surprised?
Arne
(1,964 posts)Clearly fogged in
(1,895 posts)My eldest daughter lives near Hancock Bridge Parkway, a little more than an hour away. At times I go to the VA hospital up there - the cape is enormous. Are you on the same end?
Arne
(1,964 posts)paleotn
(17,759 posts)We're a BRIC on a good day. Honduras the rest of the time.
C Moon
(12,182 posts)If so, mask wearing will still be required for those who are vaccinated. I can see a lot of people who are vaccinated taking the "I got mine attitude" and not wear a mask.
pnwmom
(108,915 posts)that should show whether people could still transmit the virus after being vaccinated.
I would continue to wear a mask in solidarity with the folk who had yet to receive the vaccine; that is what happens when you think about others.
TimeToGo
(1,365 posts)iluvtennis
(19,716 posts)provide them a number to text once they arrive. When they text, it puts them in a "first come, first served" queue. When it's time for them to get their vaccination, the facility texts them back to come inside for their shots.
flibbitygiblets
(7,220 posts)Things are going to get worse before they get better. People fighting to get the vaccine, people diverting or selling vaccines. People who do get vaccinated running around maskless. Hospitals turning people away.
Everyone's waiting for 2021, but 2020 is going to have us by the nuts for some time still, I'm afraid.
Baclava
(12,047 posts)appleannie1
(5,028 posts)How come Florida is so far ahead of other states? Not that they don't need to be vaccinated and it should be done more methodically but why are other areas so far behind?
Sancho
(9,063 posts)I'm a senior in Clearwater and we are in the middle of the biggest dumpster-fire, train-wreck, or whatever-you-call-it that anyone can imagine.