Florida expects to receive another 250,000 vaccines in a week, according to Surgeon General Scott Rivkees.
The state is prioritizing vaccinations for people 65 and older, and the federal government recently revised its guidelines to do the same. In Florida, about 4.5 million people fit that category.
Rivkees spoke Thursday to the Florida Senate Select Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
Sen. Jason Pizzo (D-Miami) notes it will take several weeks to get everyone who qualifies vaccinated.
"We need nine weeks at the very least just to vaccinate 65 and over that are willing to take it," said Pizzo. "If everybody wanted to take it, it’d be 18,19 weeks."
Rivkees told the Senate committee he’s hopeful the state will get a larger allocation due to its outsized senior population. Of the shots given out so far, 60% went to people in the 65- and-over age group.
