POLK COUNTY, Fla — Law enforcement from Polk, Hardee, Highlands, and Lake counties age 50 and up will be the first to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Friday.
DeSantis made the announcement at an event in Winter Haven, where Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies and other members of law enforcement from the aforementioned counties were receiving the vaccine. The governor said 2,000 people would be vaccinated at the event.
The state's initial shipment of the single-dose shot arrived late Wednesday night, according to the governor. In the past, DeSantis said the state was slated to get around 175,000 doses.
Friday's event was part of the governor's initiative to ramp up vaccine efforts in rural counties, like Polk. He says only 43 percent of seniors in Polk County have been vaccinated-- far below the state's average.
On top of law enforcement, fire crews and teachers 50 and up will also be receiving the vaccine.
"[Law enforcement doesn't] have the ability to do a temperature check before they serve the public, If there's an issue, they have to go deal with it," the governor said. "They're in a more high-risk profession than most of us are in."
Some have been vocal about declining the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but DeSantis and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd were quick to defend the effectiveness and accessibility of the vaccine.
"Listen to the doctors. Listen to the science," Judd said.
DeSantis also shared plans are in the works to hold additional law enforcement vaccine pods across the state with the Johnson & Johson vaccine given the low amount of supply needed.
"Our view is we have this J&J shipment; we can take some of that and knock out everyone who wants it in a relatively short amount of time," he added.
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