DeSantis’ expanded vaccine order leads to a free-for-all to sign up in Florida

On the first day that Floridians under 65 with health conditions could get a COVID vaccine, a free-for-all erupted.

Doctors’ office fielded calls from patients who wanted a state-required form signed. Pharmacies fielded questions from people seeking vaccination appointments. State-supported vaccination sites turned away Floridians irate because the locations can’t accommodate this group.

“Everybody and their sister wants to get up further in the line to get their shot done,” said Dr. Michael Patete, an ear, nose & throat specialist in Venice and president of the Florida Medical Association. “People have a lot of anxiety that they have to get vaccinated.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order gives leeway to doctors to determine when a patient is extremely vulnerable to COVID-19, without providing an explanation of their medical condition. All someone needs for vaccination is a licensed doctor to sign a form provided by the Department of Health. But the order does not specify what type of doctor can sign — a podiatrist, chiropractor, plastic surgeon? — or what conditions can be considered.

On Wednesday, DeSantis said he doesn’t need to clarify what type of medical conditions count. “We’re really putting that in the hands of the medical doctors rather than us arbitrarily picking and choosing,” DeSantis said at a news conference. “Because the fact of the matter is, if we picked certain things, we may leave some out. So we think trusting our doctors is the way to go. "

Patete said most doctors, regardless of their specialties, will accommodate a patient’s request. “Thinking off the cuff, the path of least resistance is to sign the letter,” he said. “Then it’s a matter of where are the doses.”

Publix began taking appointments Monday for those under 65 who are considered at risk — even before the state created the form to be signed.

Anyone coming to Publix to be vaccinated this week will not need the signed health form, spokeswoman Maria Brous said. After Friday, Publix will require the form at the time of vaccination.

Brous said with this new demand from those newly eligible, appointments are completely filled this week. The grocer will open new slots on Friday.

Matthew Maschler, administrator of the Facebook page South Florida Covid-19 Vaccination Information & Coronavirus Story Exchange, said vaccine appointment sites that had been getting easier to access became more difficult.

“They opened it up to a lot of people with these new categories,” he said. “There’s going to be demand. You’re going to hear people getting frustrated because they couldn’t an appointment.”

Meanwhile, state-supported drive-thru sites turned away people who fit this new eligibility.

Burt Miller of Deerfield Beach said he has diabetes and high blood pressure and got a prescription from his doctor to get the vaccine. When he tried to make an appointment through the state’s COVID appointment line, Miller learned DeSantis’ order for those under 65 is only for retail pharmacies, hospitals, and doctors’ offices — not for drive-in sites.

“They told me they couldn’t schedule me an appointment,” Miller said.

Physicians, advanced practice registered nurses and pharmacists may vaccinate persons determined vulnerable to COVID-19, but vaccinators at health department-managed sites are registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and paramedics and therefore not allowed to immunize this group.

Miller said he also tried to get an appointment at a pharmacy but did not see the “extremely vulnerable” category listed as an option when he tried to sign up. “I’m going to try again tomorrow morning,” he said.

In addition, by mid-day Wednesday, word had spread among Florida teachers that CVS would be giving vaccines to all teachers

Under new Florida guidelines, only K-12 school personnel ages 50 and older are eligible for the vaccine. But CVS said it would follow federal guidelines and allow vaccination appointments for K-12 teachers, daycare and preschool workers and staff members, regardless of age or medical condition.

“We’ve aligned with updated Federal Retail Pharmacy Program guidelines by making appointments available to teachers in all 17 states where we currently offer COVID-19 vaccines,” CVS spokeswoman Tara Burke said.

Burke said CVS soon will have all three vaccines to give out, allowing for more appointments.

“Patients will be able to see which CVS Pharmacy location has which vaccine and appointment availability on cvs.com before scheduling. Depending on which vaccine you receive, you will be prompted to schedule a second dose if needed,” she said.

Vaccination sites in Broward and Palm Beach counties scrambled Wednesday to adapt to the new state guidelines and the demand from the additional people now eligible.

Broward Health, which operates a vaccination site at Inter Miami CF Stadium at Lockhart Park, already had been vaccinating people 18 and older with specific medical conditions that put them at risk. Spokesman Jennifer Smith said most were Broward Health patients and didn’t need a signed note. Smith said Broward Health will reopen for more appointments later this week and incorporate the new state guidelines requiring the signed form.

The Health Care District of Palm Beach County updated its criteria for scheduling appointments. Now when you schedule an appointment at one of the Health Care District’s vaccination sites you have to indicate in the box “Reason for Appointment” with which category you fit.

Maschler, a South Florida real estate agent who now finds himself spending time helping people get appointments for vaccines, has found a system that works some of the time. He used it Wednesday to help the new flood of people seeking appointments as the window of who is eligible opened further.

“I use two computers, and on each computer I use two browsers, and on each browser I use two tabs,” he said. “And of my eight windows, only one got through. Then the second one got through at the end. It’s just a lot of people. But that’s still better than not getting through.”

Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com. David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler.com.