Beginning Wednesday, Jackson Health System will expand its criteria for coronavirus vaccinations to include people ages 50 and over who have a doctor's recommendation based on high-risk conditions.
Those conditions are no longer limited to the 13 laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CEO Charles Migoya said during a news conference Tuesday.
Among those who qualify are:
- Sworn law-enforcement officers age 50 and older, who must show a badge or department ID
- Firefighters age 50 and older, who must show a badge or department ID
- School-site personnel age 50 and older working at K-12 schools, who must show school ID
- Anyone age 50 and older with a signed doctor’s note on the physician’s letterhead or prescription pad, listing the patient’s name, any specific high-risk condition for which the patient is being treated, and a recommendation that the patient be vaccinated.
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The changes come as Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled his latest executive orders along with feedback from medical staff, patients, and community stakeholders.
In addition to this expanded age group, Jackson will continue vaccinating any Florida resident age 65 and older.
Jackson will also open its online appointment scheduling portal Tuesday. Florida residents age 50 and older, who meet the new criteria, can obtain an appointment via the portal for appointments on Wednesday, March 3.
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Jackson will continue to update the public on appointment availability via Twitter and Instagram: @JacksonHealth.
In addition to opening their online platform for the public to make appointments, Jackson Health is also working directly with several police departments, fire departments, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools to assist them in signing up their employees who now qualify under the new vaccine criteria.
Jackson Health has injected 97,000 vaccines, about a third of those given in Miami-Dade County.
"It was only two months ago when Jackson really began giving vaccines to the public," Migoya said. "If you think back to where we were as a county then to where we are now, much progress has been made."
