State-Run Vaccination System Near, Shots Limited To FL Residents

Correction: The state has contracted with vendor Sharecare Health Data Services to handle appointments for residents to get vaccinated.

FLORIDA — Hoping to restore order to what's been chaos since the coronavirus vaccine was rolled out to residents 65 and older in late December, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state will take over vaccine registrations.

Meanwhile, reports that people from other countries were traveling to Florida to obtain coronavirus shots spurred Florida surgeon general Dr. Scott Rivkees to sign a public health advisory order that prioritizes Florida residents for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The state kicked off DeSantis' "Seniors First" initiative Thursday by opening up three state-run coronavirus vaccine sites. The opening is a prelude to DeSantis' plan to roll out a statewide appointment system for coronavirus vaccinations, which should be ready to accept registrations in a few weeks.

The state will use the company Sharecare Health Data Services to register eligible residents and set appointments.

All counties will forward information on those who have already set up an account or set up an appointment to receive a first or second shot to the new provider.

In the meantime, the statewide vaccine program began Thursday with pilot sites at Marlins Park in Miami, at Regency Square Mall in Jacksonville and at University Square Mall in Tampa.

The vaccination sites will be run by state-contracted health care professionals and members of the Florida National Guard seven days a week. For the time being, they will be open only to front-line health-care workers and Florida residents age 65 and up who have previously made appointments through their county health departments and have been contacted by CDR Maguire Health and Medical.

Health care workers and residents age 65 and older who wish to schedule first-time appointments should call 888-499-0840 for Marlins Park; 866-200-3762 for Regency Square; and 866-200-3896 for University Square Mall.

In a few weeks, Sharecare will have an online portal so eligible residents can register online and confirm appointments, as well.

Residents who have already registered or received vaccine appointments should continue to check with their county health departments for updates.

Timothy Dudley, director of the Hillsborough County Department of Emergency Management, said a statewide system will eliminate the confusion and frustration residents have experienced with each county having its own appointment system.

It will also alleviate the stress county governments are experiencing as they attempt to keep up with the demand for vaccines.

"We have weathered the storm," Hillsborough County Assistant County Administrator Greg Horwedel said. "Now the state is trying to put in a system to accommodate the demand and take the load off the counties."

Like other Florida counties, Hillsborough County government employees are assisting the Department of Health-Hillsborough. Until now, state-run county health departments were in charge of the vaccination programs for their counties. But with the overwhelming demand, county employees were enlisted to answer calls, check people in for vaccination appointments and even direct traffic — in addition to doing their own jobs.

"This county has put all hands on deck to administer these vaccinations," Hillsborough County Commissioner Mariella Smith said. "These (testing and vaccinations) are actually state programs, but the counties are using its employees for emergency duties."

The new state appointment system has 5,000 people answering calls, making 1,600 appointments for vaccines at each vaccination site seven days a week.

DeSantis said the Florida Department of Emergency Management is working to set up additional vaccination sites around the state once the new ShareCare appointment portal goes live.

Hosting Clinics Across State

Dr. Doug Holt, director of the Department of Health-Hillsborough, said the state will use county DOH clinics to vaccinate residents, host clinics at churches and aging services centers in underserved communities, set up more state-run clinics like the three that opened Thursday, and recruit doctors, dentists, podiatrists, pharmacies and other health care professionals to provide vaccines.

Additionally, DeSantis is working with Publix Supermarkets to expand the chain's clinics into other counties. Publix currently has a limited number of vaccination clinics in underserved counties.

The federal government has contracted with CVS and Walgreens along with community health clinics to provide vaccines as well. CVS and Walgreens are expected to launch clinics on Jan. 31.

Vaccines have been distributed to all hospitals around the state, including Baycare Health Systems, AdventHealth and HCA Health. The hospitals are offering vaccines to existing patients.

DeSantis has also put the hospitals in charge of determining which residents under 65 years old are vulnerable to the coronavirus due to pre-existing health problems and require immediate vaccination. Residents who fit this category should contact their nearest hospital.

Other residents, including teachers and police officers, who have requested the vaccine will have to wait for now.

For now, DeSantis hasn't put them on his priority list.

More Vaccines Needed In FL

DeSantis said he hasn't received the amount of vaccines from the federal government he was originally promised, but expects to receive more as the Food and Drug Administration approves vaccines from other pharmaceutical companies including Astrazeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

Both of the vaccines developed by these companies are easier to administer.

The state is now receiving a combination of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which were approved by the FDA in December.

These vaccines take twice as long to administer than a flu shot. Plus the Pfizer vaccine has to be stored at temperatures of 4 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit then thawed to be administered. Once the Pfizer vaccine is thawed, it must be used within five days. The Moderna vaccine has a longer life span — about 30 days.

The state is receiving about a million doses of vaccines a month and $194 million from the federal government to help distribute the vaccines.

New Residency Requirements

Also on Thursday, Florida's surgeon general issued a public health advisory that gives Florida residents priority to coronavirus vaccine appointments.

DeSantis's executive order issued in November gave anyone age 65 and up priority for the vaccine. However, that created an angry backlash from seniors in the state, many lifelong residents, who haven't been able to book a vaccine appointment because the appointments are getting snapped up by visiting nonresidents from Canada and northern states.

Rivkees' advisory gives priority to those who meet state residency requirements including owning a home and having a Florida driver's license. See the Florida Residency Requirement Guide.

See related stories:

• FL Residents Fear Their Vaccines Are Going To Non-Residents

• Task Force Warns Florida Of 'Full COVID-19 Resurgence': Report

This article originally appeared on the Tampa Patch