Florida lowers the age to qualify for a coronavirus vaccine for residents from 65 to 60 on Monday.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said this past week that vaccinating ages 60 to 64 may go quicker than expected because of the increase in the weekly vaccine supply the state is receiving.
DeSantis cited softened demand statewide as his reason for expanding eligibility.
“The pharmacies have their windows to sign up, and they’re [vaccines] not gone in 10 minutes like they were a month and a half ago. Sometimes the window will be open for an hour,” he said.
Thanks to the convenience and reach that retail pharmacies provide, Florida is close to 3 million 65+ seniors vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/ZIHNFgKYYN
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 14, 2021
DeSantis said the five-year age decrease adds nearly 1.5 million eligible people.
As of Sunday, more than 4 million Floridians had gotten at least one vaccine shot, almost three-quarters of them 65 years or older.
Other eligible groups include: law enforcement officers, K-12 school teachers and employees, and firefighters age 50 and older; health care workers with direct patient contact; people 16 and older who are medically vulnerable to the virus; and long-term care residents and staff.
DeSantis also said last week that he expects the age limit to soon drop to 55 – adding another 1.6 million eligible people - with the vaccine open to the general public by the end of April.
To preregister at state-supported sites in your area, visit http://myvaccine.fl.gov.
