Can Florida ‘snowbirds’ get the COVID vaccine?
Updated Dec 30, 2020;
Posted Dec 30, 2020
Dr. Steve Brandwene receives a Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine from nurse practitioner Hari Leon Joseph at the Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Florida, on December 18, 2020. (Chandan Khanna/AFP/ Getty Images/TNS)TNS
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By Ben Conarck Tampa Bay Times (TNS) and Tribune Media Services
Every winter, retirees from the Northeast and Midwest head to the warmth of Florida, occupying seasonal homes and condos. But 2021 isn’t like years past.
This year, “snowbirds” are weighing a new consideration when deciding whether to flee their cold-weather states: Where am I more likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine? So far, that’s a complicated question in Florida, with little clear direction from the state.
Some states buck federal recommendations, prioritize vaccinating elderly over essential workers
Florida and Texas have diverged perhaps most starkly from the recommendations of the CDC advisory group.
By Isaac Stanley-BeckerWashington Post
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Patricia Wasseman, holds Hermina Levin s hands as nurse Eva Diaz administers the Pfizer vaccine at John Knox Village, Wednesday, Dec. 16, in Pompano Beach, Fla. AP Photo/Marta Lavandier
Some of the most populous states are shelving federal recommendations and making coronavirus vaccines available to the elderly before providing access to grocery store employees, transit staffers and other front-line workers.
Officials are pursuing such strategies in Florida and Texas, where a combined 50 million people live. The divergence reflects differing needs in a highly diverse country where the coronavirus has killed unevenly, but it also highlights an emerging patchwork that could pose obstacles for the nationwide immunization campaig
Florida and Texas discard CDC vaccine framework and prioritize the elderly over essential workers washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Dec 28, 2020 10:27 AM New Smyrna Beach, FL - The Florida Division of Emergency Management is extending operations at the COVID-19 testing site in New Smyrna Beach until July. After recognizing the continued need for the site, the state agency worked with the city to make the extension possible. “While progress is being made with COVID-19 vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to stress the importance of testing,” said Emergency Management Director Jim Judge. “We’re so thankful to have this continued resource in Volusia County so that those in need can quickly and easily receive a test.” Both self-swab rapid antigen and PCR testing are available without appointment, but making one in advance could facilitate the experience. Rapid testing results are expected within 15 minutes. There s no age requirement for testing. Insurance information is requested from insured individuals, but patients