Palm Harbor

DeSantis Says Florida Could Lower Vaccine Eligibility Age to 55+ by End of March

Gov. Ron DeSantis said that the vaccine eligibility age could be lowered to 55 in Florida "some time in March"

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Gov. Ron DeSantis said that the vaccine eligibility age could be lowered to 55 in Florida "some time in March."

Speaking at a Covid-19 vaccination site in Palm Harbor, DeSantis said that the demand for vaccine doses had begun to "teeter out" among the 65+ age group.

starting to teeter out, don't thikn you're going to have 90% demand, probably 2/3rds to 75%, we're pretty close to that

"I don't think you're going to have 90% demand, it'll probably be closer to two-thirds of the population, about 75%. We're pretty close to that (in the 65+ age group)," DeSantis said. "Now we're opening up to 60-64, and reports have been good around the state."

The governor also noted that there is no more stock of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine coming to Florida "for the foreseeable future."

"I don't know what the issue with that is," DeSantis said. "Hopefully, we'll get more of that soon. We're still not where want on supply, our supply is pretty stagnant."

Nonetheless, he added that the state should be able to lower age eligibility for the vaccine to 55 some time this month.

"Even with our current stagnant supplies, we're reaching a little bit better equilibrium and there's more availability for appointments. Then, we can lower the age to 55," DeSantis said.

"We believe that 'seniors first' works."

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