FL’s Eligible Age For Vaccines Likely To Lower In March: Report

FLORIDA — The state of Florida will likely lower the age of those eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine in March, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference in Jacksonville Thursday, WPTV reported.

“You’re going to see the age lower at some time in March,” he said.

He didn’t offer a specific age range the vaccine would become available for next month, though. The governor indicated at a news conference earlier in the week that teachers and law enforcement officers 50 and older will become eligible for the COVID-19 in March.

DeSantis expects the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, a one-dose vaccine, to be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration soon, further expanding access to the vaccine. The FDA advisory committee will review the vaccine’s data Friday and is expected to approve it for use against, USA Today reported.

At a Fort Pierce news conference Thursday, the governor, who is 42 years old, said he’s “closer to the back of the line” for the vaccine, the Tampa Bay Times reported. He said he’d eventually take the Johnson & Johnson brand vaccine.

“I’m just going to get one shot and be done,” he said.

More than 6,500 new coronavirus cases were reported in Florida Thursday according to state data, bringing the state’s total number of coronavirus cases since the start the pandemic closer to 1.9 million.