Florida becomes only state not to order Covid vaccines for children under five

Florida remains the only US state that has not ordered COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of five, with federal officials aiming to start delivering the vaccines next week.

According to the Miami Herald, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ state was the only one to miss a Tuesday deadline to pre-order doses of the long-awaited vaccine. US government sources told the Herald that Florida families will now experience a delay as they try to access the vaccine as compared to the rest of the country.

While pediatricians’ offices and health centers around the country recieve their first shipments of the vaccine as soon as next Monday, Florida will have no doses — and won’t until the state finally does decide to order shipments of the vaccinations.

The failure to meet the deadline to pre-order doses was not an administrative error or oversight. It was deliberate.

Jeremy Redfern, Florida Department of Health press secretary, confirmed to the Herald that his department declined to participate in the vaccination program because the state has chosen not to follow federal health guidelines regarding the pandemic.

“The Florida Department of Health has made it clear to the federal government that states do not need to be involved in the convoluted vaccine distribution process, especially when the federal government has a track record of developing inconsistent and unsustainable COVID-19 policies,” Redfern said.

Florida’s political leadership, from Mr DeSantis to surgeon general and secretary of the state department of health Joseph Ladapo, has long been fiercely critical of vaccine requirements and COVID mitigation measures more broadly. Several months ago, Mr DeSantis berated a group of middle school students who chose to wear masks at an indoor event he was speaking at.

Mr DeSantis, who has routinely taken far right stands on social and cultural issues during his tenure as Florida governor, is considered a top contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. He is expected to win re-election as governor this fall and enjoys a high approval rating in the state.

“Parents are really frightened about COVID for their kids... Why would they be frieghtned about it? It’s because of media hysteria,” DeSantis said on Thursday. “It’s because of a lot of misinformation. That’s why they’re scared.”

His health department’s decision on vaccines, however, is bound to frustrate many Floridians who are concerned about the safety of their children. Most scientists and public health experts do not agree with Mr DeSantis’ claim that the “risks outweigh the benefits” of vaccination for children. Kids under five years of age are the last group that is currently ineligible for COVID vaccines, despite the fact that COVID has impacted young children in greater numbers in recent months.

Parents in Florida will still have a handful of options to access vaccines despite their state government’s position. Certain community health centers in the state have been able to order vaccines directly from the federal government, and federal pharmacy partners like Publix will likely also have a supply.

But the state government’s position will, at least in the short term, complicate any attempt to roll out a comprehensive statewide vaccine programme.

“I think people like DeSantis and the surgeon general just make it much more difficult for [doctors] to do anything about getting folks to vaccinate their children,” Louis St. Petery, a Tallahassee pediatric cardiologist, told the Herald.