Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine has arrived in Florida, DeSantis announces
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The much anticipated single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Florida Thursday night and is making its way to vaccination sites.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been touting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for weeks, saying it will be a game-changer in reaching more people.
At a news briefing in Ocala Friday, DeSantis did not say how many doses arrived, but earlier in the week he said as many as 175,000 could be coming to the state this week. During the briefing, the governor said Florida has started by giving doses of the newest vaccine to law enforcement members who are 50 and older in Polk County.
“Because Johnson & Johnson is a single dose, it’s perfect for law enforcement, teachers, people in the workforce. The vast majority do come back for the second dose, but not 100%. I think the Johnson & Johnson is going to give us a lot of versatility,” DeSantis said.
The doses are arriving as more locations in Florida join the vaccination effort, including Winn Dixie and Walgreens.
Separate from the state allotment, the federal government has supplied four mass vaccination sites in Florida with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, including the Miami-Dade County location.
Mike Jachless, the Master Public Information Officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said 500 of the 3,000 doses per day going into arms at the FEMA site at Miami Dade College’s North Campus are Johnson & Johnson vaccines, and the rest are Pfizer. The walk-up site has 40 stations and plenty of supply to meet demand. Appointments are encouraged (go to myvaccine.fl.gov) but are not required.
For the next six days, two temporary federal-run COVID-19 walk-up vaccine sites in Florida City and Sweetwater will administer 500 doses each. Through March 10, Ronselli Park Youth Center in Sweetwater, which is at 250 SW 114th Ave., and Florida City Youth Activity Center, at 650 NW Fifth Ave., will serve as satellite vaccine sites in Miami-Dade. At the Florida City site, 250 of the 500 doses are the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Dr. Rudolph Moise, president of the Dade County Medical Association, said physicians in the state have been eagerly awaiting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. “Our patients want it,” he said. “The more vaccine that comes to the state, the quicker our patients will get it.”
DeSantis has not said when the vaccine would be available through physician offices.
President Joe Biden has vowed to supply enough vaccine for every adult in America by the end of May. The Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine will play a big role in fulfilling the supply.
Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.
