Faced with devastating pressure from medical professionals and the federal government, Florida began allowing pediatricians, pediatric hospitals and other doctors on Friday to order coronavirus vaccines for young children, according to state and White House officials. The shift will ensure that families will be able to receive injections in doctors’ offices, albeit later than in any other state in the country.
The White House praised the move as an important first step, calling it a “reversal” by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican with presidential ambitions who often throws himself as President Biden’s film. Mr DeSantis’ administration insisted that it had not backed down from its original position and authorized orders only after the Food and Drug Administration had authorized the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for very young children on Friday morning. A group of experts advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave their approval on Saturday, and the director of the agency then backed the recommendation, formally clearing the way for the start of vaccinations next week.
Unlike the other 49 states and the District of Columbia, Florida did not allow health care providers to pre-order vaccines before the federal government’s June 14 deadline. As a result, no doses will be sent to state doctors during the first wave of vaccine deliveries, which are due to arrive on Monday. The second wave of pre-ordered doses, which Florida also missed, is scheduled to arrive about a week later.
“The state of Florida has deliberately missed a number of deadlines for ordering vaccines to protect its youngest children,” Dr Ashish K. Ja, coroner of the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, told reporters on Friday.
In a statement, Brian Griffin, deputy spokesman for Mr DeSantis, said the characterization of Florida’s policy as a reversal was “clearly incorrect”.
“We have always maintained that Florida has chosen not to pre-order or distribute the vaccine to children under 5,” he said. “The state of Florida does not recommend that the vaccine be given to healthy children,” he added, citing guidelines issued in March against the CDC board.
Government officials said Thursday that doctors can order vaccines if needed. But this requires the use of a state portal that is not open for these orders until Friday.
Dr. Lisa Gwyn, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Florida and an associate professor at the University of Miami, said she was in contact with the Florida Department of Health about vaccines last week and was not informed that doctors would be allowed to place orders only after the photos have been approved by the FDA.
“I was walking back and forth, keeping in touch with the people at the agency,” she said. “They don’t tell me that.”
Vaccinations for very young children are usually given in pediatricians’ offices, but unlike pharmacies in the federal Covid vaccine program, doctors cannot order doses on their own, Dr. Guin said. She added that some Florida officials appear to have suggested on Thursday that doctors order vaccines directly from the federal government before the state opens its online portal.
“First, they said suppliers could order directly from the federal government,” she said. “That’s not true. We have to order through the state.”
On Thursday, Mr DeSantis defended his administration’s refusal to pre-order any vaccines for public health facilities. This includes the county’s public health services, which are under state control.
“I would say we are strongly against the Covid vaccine for young children,” he said. “These are people who have no zero risk of getting something.”
By Friday morning, a congressional subcommittee monitoring the coronavirus’s reaction had sent a letter to Mr DeSantis urging him to change his position.
Noah Wayland contributed to the report.
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