Lee County will begin vaccinating those 65 and older on Monday, DOH confirms

The Department of Health in Lee County will begin offering the COVID-19 vaccine to those 65 and older as soon as Monday.

DOH spokeswoman Tammy Yzaguirre confirmed to WINK News the vaccine would be available. Details on how people can sign up were not provided.

Collier and Charlotte counties have not said when they will be ready to vaccinate people.

The decision to provide the vaccine to that segment of the population falls in line with an announcement by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday that he will sign an executive order that makes 65-plus people the priority when the vaccines are released to the general public. Those in that age group will take precedent over essential workers who are younger.

DeSantis’ announcement came during a press conference at Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola on Wednesday where hospital staff received vaccines on camera.

DeSantis said his reasoning for the executive order was because he didn’t agree with the CDC’s recommendation that essential workers be vaccinated along with seniors.

“I think that would have been a huge mistake,” DeSantis said. “It would have increased mortality.”

DeSantis said the executive order does allow leeway for hospital workers to make a judgment on who should get a vaccine.

“For hospitals, regardless of age, if there is someone vulnerable to COVID, we want to let hospitals do it,”  DeSantis said. “Once a hospital completes the mission with vaccinating front line workers they can immediately turn their attention to 65 and over.”  

DeSantis said county health departments are receiving small amounts of the vaccine.

“I would just caution folks who are in that 65 and older, don’t rush to your local hospital or county health department,” DeSantis said. “Right now, you’re going to have an opportunity to sign up, I think, in very short order, we are going to be getting it to the county health departments, but it is going to be a relatively limited supply. So just say bear with us.”

Meanwhile, in Lee County, firefighters, including Cape Coral Fire Chief Ryan Lamb, began to get vaccinated on Tuesday, according to the Department of Health in Lee County. Once paramedics and EMTS employed by fire rescue are vaccinated, they will be able to vaccinate other priority populations, Yzaguirre said.

“We do this through paramedicine agreements between the Health Department and the fire or EMS agency,” Yzaguirre said. “This is a strategy that serves as a force multiplier allowing us to exponentially increase the number of healthcare workers that can then safely vaccinate other priority groups.”

Executive Order 20-315 reads in part:

During this first phase of vaccine administration. all providers administering any COVID19 vaccine shall only vaccinate the following populations:

• Long-term care facility residents and staff;
• Persons 65 years of age and older; and
• Health care personel with direct patient contact.

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