COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed in a three-phase plan in Florida
DORAL, FL – COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed in a three-phase plan that must be submitted to the federal government next month, considering CDC moved the deadline for states to submit their plans for the vaccine distribution from November 1 to November 15.
According to an Oct. 16 draft plan of the Florida Department of Health, health care personnel, essential workers, high-risk individuals and the elderly will be vaccinated first due to limited supplies. This includes staff and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care settings and first responders.
When all of the above are vaccinated, the state would move to phase two that, according to Naples Daily News, will be the time when large numbers of vaccine doses become available.
In this phase, pediatricians and primary care providers will get supplies as the October draft outlines, and mass vaccinations clinics will be open by county health departments.
Such clinics will be in service to “ensure there is equitable distribution of the vaccine, in the same way COVID-19 testing was made available,” the report said.
CBS4 reported that during this phase, some hospitals partnered with the state would provide vaccinations to inpatients and outpatients who seek care in emergency rooms, urgent-care centers and outpatient clinics.
The third phase, on the other hand, will be for commercial pharmacies to be given vaccination supplies under the 51-page draft dated Oct. 16, reported CBS4.
While the timeline as well as the vaccine distribution with limited supplies is not perfectly clear for now, the state Department of Health is working diligently to guarantee a proper delivery.
Regarding the initial distribution with limited supplies, the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is working to solve that issue and will make a recommendation to the CDC when vaccines are authorized for use.
It should be noted the state is making use of CDC guidelines for its plan and factors integrated planning with the 67 county health departments while also taking into account the lessons learned from seasonal flu, H1N1 pandemic and the Hepatitis A vaccine program.
As part of the state’s preparedness, county health departments must run a vaccination administration exercise before Dec. 1 to make sure they can respond properly to the public’s demand during the second phase of the plan.