It’s expected to be another big week in Florida when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines.
On Monday, the first doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine were scheduled to arrive in the state.
“All of us at Sarasota Memorial feel really blessed and privileged,” said Allison Gottermeier, a spokesperson at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
Sarasota Memorial Hospital was among the first healthcare systems in Florida slated to receive the new Moderna vaccine.
“We’ve been waiting for this, and the whole community's been waiting for this for a long time,” Dr. James Fiorica said.
The previous week, Tampa General Hospital received Florida’s first doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
This week, several Tampa Bay area hospitals will begin receiving and distributing the Moderna vaccine. Doses are headed to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Blake Medical Center in Bradenton, Manatee Memorial Hospital, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, Englewood Community Hospital and 11 of BayCare Health's hospitals in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties.
“You know, we are getting today about 61,000 doses of the Moderna are going to arrive today, is what we’re tracking,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday. “And then, tomorrow, so, 61,000 today and then I think tomorrow is going to be over 300,000. So that’s going to go over to hospitals throughout the state of Florida.”
“We are going to be ready in case there’s any reactions; you’re going to be observed for 30 minutes at all the vaccination places. We have people that will attend to you if you happen to have an allergic reaction,” said Sarasota Memorial Hospital Physician Dr. Manuel Gordillo.
The Tampa Bay area continues to play a role in the development of future vaccines too. Trials include Advent Health Tampa and Eli Lilly’s candidate as well as phase three research for the Jansen pharmaceuticals vaccine.
James A. Haley Veterans Hospital is also conducting a clinical trial for Johnson and Johnson’s single-dose vaccine. In Lakeland, Accel clinical research joins USF Health and TGH -- launching Phase 3 trials for Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
DeSantis says Florida will have received about 750,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the month with another 1.5 million to 2 million expected in January.
DeSantis also addressed for the first time Monday when he plans to get vaccinated. He says he’s under 45 years old so he imagines it won’t be for a couple of months. He says he plans to do so, but that he’s not going to step in front of anyone else in line.
On Tuesday, DeSantis said his office would announce a more detailed plan for how the next wave of the vaccine will be distributed.
He says he wants to make sure Florida’s elderly are prioritized even ahead of essential workers.
DeSantis said he sees no reason why a 22-year-old food service worker should have access to the vaccine before a 74-year-old grandmother.
“You know, hospitals are busy. Staff are tired. And this is what we need,” Fiorica said. “We need something to say this is the beginning of a resolution of this pandemic.”
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