TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Floridians ages 65 and older will get priority for the COVID-19 vaccine, Governor DeSantis said at a press conference Wednesday.
He said the process could begin as early as Monday.
The governor signed this into an executive order Wednesday morning, emphasizing that now that the initial doses have been given, he wants to work to get doses out to senior populations.
He cited a CDC committee that said essential workers and people 75+ should be first in line, but DeSantis said he didn't think that was fair to people at risk in a slightly younger range.
He said there could be exceptions, but for the most part, 65+ is the priority.
"It makes no sense for someone that's 42 to jump ahead of someone that's 70 years old," the governor said.
For this reason, DeSantis said he would not be getting the vaccine while the elderly population still needed it.
Healthcare providers throughout the state have been instructed that once the frontline healthcare workers are vaccinated, attention can immediately be turned to the 65+ population.
DeSantis added Florida would not be implementing any kind of mandate for people to get the vaccine, but noted that more and more people will want to get it as they see others get it.
