Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Effective Friday, Jan. 22, the Jefferson County Health Department (FDOH-Jefferson) stopped accepting COVID-19 vaccine application consent forms, at least until it can process and vaccinate the 1,100-plus individuals who have already applied.
“We ask for your patience during this time,” emailed Pam Gilleland-Beck, public information officer for the FDOH-Jefferson. “We will provide notification when we are ready to accept consent forms again.”
Additionally, she added, the department will no longer be providing vaccines to non-Florida residents or anyone who is not a healthcare provider providing healthcare services to Florida residents.
The latter determination is in keeping with a public health advisory issued by State Surgeon General Scott A. Rivkees on Thursday, Jan. 21, mandating the prioritization of Floridians for COVID-19 vaccinations because of the state’s limited supplies of the vaccine. Surgeon General Rivkees issued his health advisory in order to “protect public health and safety.” The advisory further states that, “Prior to providing the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to the intended recipient, every vaccine provider in Florida should ensure the recipient of the vaccine is either: a resident of the State of Florida able to demonstrate residency consistent with the criteria set forth in Florida Statute (a Florida driver's license or state-issued ID); or an individual present in Florida for the purpose of providing health care services involving direct contact with patients.
According to figures released by the Florida Department of Health, through Wednesday, Jan. 20, there had been a total of 40,965 out-of-state vaccinations given. A number of these could be attributed to “COVID tourism;” a phenomenon that comes from residents from other states where COVID vaccinations are much more restrictive, such as New York, traveling to Florida for the purpose of receiving the vaccine.
On a related note, Health Department Administrator Kim Allbritton informed the Jefferson County Commission on the same day that over the last three weeks, her department had vaccinated about 1,100 individuals 65 and older, as well as frontline healthcare workers.
Unfortunately, Allbritton said, the schedule was not one that her department could maintain going forward, given the limited supplies of the vaccine.
It was a message that Gilleland-Beck conveyed earlier via a press release.
“We would like to inform the public that due to limited vaccines allotted to Jefferson County from the State of Florida in the coming weeks, wait times for vaccination appointments may be longer than those previously experienced,” Gilleland-Beck emailed.
The department, she said, was capable of vaccinating up to 400 residents daily.
“However, our weekly vaccine allotment will be less than 120 for first doses,” Gilleland-Beck said, noting that the state is now issuing vaccines based on the percentage of 65 and older adults in each county.
Both she and Allbritton, however, assured residents that everyone who had received the first shot would be able to receive their second shot on the date scheduled for them at their first appointment. Which second dose vaccinations were scheduled to begin the week of Monday, Jan. 25.
“This also applies to those who received their first vaccine at Tallahassee Memorial Physician Partners Monticello,” Gilleland-Beck said. “We greatly value Tallahassee Memorial Physician Partners’ collaboration in the effort to vaccinate our community and appreciate their dedication to Jefferson County.”
Both she and Allbritton underscored that the vaccination program would entail a long and ever changing process that would require flexibility and adaptability on the part of all.
Nonetheless, the two said, the department was committed to adjusting accordingly in order to serve the needs of county residents as best and most efficient as possible as doses of the vaccines became more readily available and the population parameters changed.
In the meantime, the department encourages residents who are age 65 and older and interested in getting the vaccine to check with their primary care provider, local pharmacies and nearby hospitals to see if doses are available. Publix grocery stores, it was emphasized, now also are a vaccine provider, which present another option.
In terms of the administration of the first 1,100-plus vaccines, FDOH-Jefferson credits the program’s overall success to the unified command that the department enjoyed with the Jefferson County Emergency Management, Jefferson County Fire Rescue and Monticello Police Department, all of which helped with the operation of the COVID-19 vaccination site.
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