Florida’s program to vaccinate residents of long-term care facilities is complete, freeing up resources for the state’s broader inoculation strategy against the coronavirus.
Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz made an appearance Thursday before the state Senate Select Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Response to discuss Florida's vaccination strategy.
Watch: Moskowitz speaks before state Senate Committee
Moskowitz told lawmakers that as of Thursday, all residents and employees at more than 3,000 assisted living facilities and 4,000 nursing homes across the state have been offered the vaccine, even if the state could not compel everyone in such facilities to get shots.
Doing so by the end of the month was a goal set by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis put seniors 65 and older at the head of the line when he opened up vaccines to the broader public, citing their vulnerability to the disease. The governor sidestepped federal recommendations to give early priority for the vaccine to essential workers like grocery store employees and teachers.
On Thursday, Moskowitz echoed DeSantis’s concern over inadequate deliveries of life-saving vaccines in the face of intense demand. He said the burden is on the federal government to send more vaccines to states like Florida.
Moskowitz, a former Democratic state lawmaker, asserted that President Joe Biden “has inherited a mess.”
