AdventHealth Now Vaccinating Pasco Residents With Health Issues

PASCO COUNTY, FL — AdventHealth's West Florida Division has begun vaccinating extremely vulnerable patients on Wednesday, Feb. 17 in Pasco County.

The location was not disclosed to prevent people from showing up without appointments.

Due to the limited number of vaccines, AdventHealth's clinical leadership team used the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria to determine who is deemed extremely vulnerable.

The following patients under age 65 qualify for vaccinations and will be notified directly of where to report for vaccinations:

• Solid organ transplant and bone marrow transplant patients
• Cancer patients undergoing active treatment
• Cystic fibrosis patients
• Those with sickle cell disease
• Adults with Down syndrome

“Our focus is to ensure that patients who are facing critical health issues, or undergoing complex treatments, get a vaccine so they do not encounter a life-threatening situation like contracting COVID-19," said Ana Ali, assistant vice president of strategic innovation, AdventHealth West Florida Division.

In cooperation with community vaccinations, AdventHealth Home Health has also vaccinated 150 patients and caregivers age 65 and older in their homes. AdventHealth will receive an additional allotment to vaccinate 150 additional patients and their caregivers who qualify in the coming days. Those patients will also be notified directly of their eligibility.

In addition, AdventHealth partnered with Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Zephyrhills to vaccinate congregation members age 65 and older.

“We have an obligation in our community to help our seniors thrive and stay healthy, said the Rev. Adrian Gay, pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. “We are grateful to AdventHealth for all they’ve done to help get our seniors vaccinated.”

Higher incidents of complications and death from the coronavirus among Blacks and Latinos are symptoms of longstanding health and economic inequities.

As a result, some Black and Latino patients don’t receive care until they are at a later stage of disease or are already compromised with underlying conditions that make treating COVID-19 more difficult.

To address the problems, AdventHealth is working on efforts to educate more people on risk factors by partnering with local churches or fraternities and sororities to let people know about the safety of the vaccine and other health information.

For more information, visit the AdventHealth vaccination website.

See related story: AdventHealth To Launch Coronavirus Vaccine Program Wednesday