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The initial shipment of 19,500 does of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was immediately placed into super cold freezers. A group of nine healthcare workers at the hospital system were the first to receive the vaccine later Tuesday. The initial group of nine to receive the shot included an emergency room physician, an ICU nurse, and a service worker who said being included in the initial rollout was humbling. Jackson Health s initial share of the vaccine arrived a days after three other hospital systems - Memorial Regional in Broward, UF Health in Jacksonville and Tampa General - received their first doses.
Florida plans to get COVID-19 vaccines to more than 150 hospitals by next week
Florida hospitals inoculate their workers and those at 25 additional hospitals this week. Next week, the state is preparing plans to receive 300,000 to 400,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, set for approval later this week.
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The facade of Moderna, Inc. headquarters is seen, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Cambridge, Mass. The Food and Drug Administration said that a second potential COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Moderna, appears safe and highly effective, bringing it to the cusp of U.S. authorization. A panel of outside experts is expected to vote to recommend the formula on Thursday, with the FDA s green light coming soon thereafter. [ ELISE AMENDOLA | AP ]
Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking from a restaurant in West Palm Beach, says the first batch of the Moderna vaccine could begin heading to his state as soon as this weekend, allowing wider distribution of the medicine to hospitals across the state.
Florida’s largest hospital system says it is on track to immunize nearly 20,000 health care workers against COVID-19. The news comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced a delay in hundreds of thousands of doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
But DeSantis says the first batch of the Moderna vaccine could begin heading to his state as soon as this weekend, allowing wider distribution of the medicine to hospitals across the state.
Committed: Florida’s children victims of dysfunctional Baker Act system
Each day in Florida, about 100 kids are involuntarily committed for psychiatric exams under the state s Baker Act. The law was not designed for children, yet over the past few years, the number of minors taken for mental health evaluations has increased. The issue is drawing more scrutiny from child advocates and lawmakers. But solutions to the problem aren’t easy. [Source: WFSU]
Deadline to apply for ‘Obamacare’ is near. Here’s how to get your ACA needs covered
The deadline to join that healthcare market in 2021 is Tuesday, Dec. 15. The biggest mistake people make is missing the deadline, said Charlene Zein, senior vice president of Ambetter from Sunshine Health. Ambetter is headquartered in South Florida and is one of many insurance companies selling ACA plans in the marketplace. So is Florida Blue, Medica and others. [Source: Miami Herald]
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Those who pre-registered can attend the distribution event at Juan Pablo Duarte Park from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday. Mayor Francis Suarez said last Friday that the city will be able to provide $334,000 worth of gift cards from various companies, including Winn-Dixie, Sedanos, Presidente Supermarkets and more, in addition to the Publix gift cards that are already being distributed. Gift cards range from $100 to $350. For more info on upcoming distributions and how to register, click on this link.
No. 3 - The Electoral College decisively confirmed Joe Biden on Monday as the nation’s next president, ratifying his November victory in an authoritative state-by-state repudiation of President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede he had lost.