Florida extends COVID-19 vaccines to all teachers regardless of age
DORAL, FL – Florida teachers will now be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine regardless of their age, as well as child care workers and school employees.
Previously, the state only allowed vaccinations to K-12 classroom teachers 50 and older. Preschool teacher and daycare workers were not eligible by then, but now they all are, reported CBS4.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Gov. Ron DeSantis while at a vaccination site in Crystal River, where he explained Florida will now follow President Biden’s order released earlier this week that gives priority to all educators for the vaccine.
Although he doesn’t agree with said order considering 25-year-old teachers are at less risk than those of 80, he won’t go against it.
“They’ve made the teachers, regardless of age, eligible. So they are eligible to get vaccinated per that order,” he said.
Educators interested in getting the vaccine, can reach to CVS and Walmart pharmacies, as well as to Publix pharmacy and the FEMA site at Miami-Dade College North Campus.
The new federal mass vaccination center opened last Wednesday and now offers Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to eligible residents without appointment. All these vaccinations sites confirmed they will immunize teachers of any age, reported the media.
Regarding CVS, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention, the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program will prioritize all school staff and child care workers this month, following President Biden’s new mandate.
On Wednesday, the pharmacy chain opened vaccinations to all teachers under 50 and daycare workers in the state and a dozen locations in Miami-Dade and Broward already began scheduling appointments.
Teachers interviewed by CBS4 said that after Biden’s announcement, they were able to get an appointment on Thursday and Saturday of this week.
Publix, on the other hand, announced all Florida K-12 child care teachers and personnel regardless of age will be eligible to make an appointment through the online reservation system on Publix’s website, reported News Channel 8, Tampa.
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