JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Out of all the states, Florida was the only one to not pre-order more COVID-19 vaccines to give to kids.
The US Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization on Friday for both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for young children. Last Saturday the CDC backed their decision as well.
However, Florida was the only state that had not preordered vaccines for children under the age of 5 after the White House announced last week it made 10 million vaccine doses available for preorder.
On Thursday Governor Ron DeSantis said ordering the vaccine is something the state isn’t going to utilize its resources on.
Pediatricians in the state can still order the vaccines on their own. However, they say they’ve been unable to do so.
Randy Thornton, M.D. calls the situation “frustrating” since he hasn’t been able to order vaccines for his practice.
“We have tried to order it. We’ve been anxious. Parents have been contacting us for the past couple of weeks as the news came,” Thornton said.
Linzey Turner isn’t comfortable with getting her 1-year-old niece vaccinated although she would be eligible for the vaccine.
“I don’t know the long term effects. She’s so sensitive. Her skin is so sensitive, who knows how she would react,” Turner said.
Thornton said kids are still getting sick with the virus, and he wants to make sure everyone has access to the life-saving vaccine.
“The vast, vast majority of the kids we’re seeing with COVID are the six month to five year old age range. The ones that have never been vaccinated. And the good news is they haven’t gotten overly sick. but they have gotten sick with it. And it’s not just the risk of illness that worries me. It’s what happens to parents too,” Thornton said.
Although some parents are hesitant to give their children the vaccination, doctors suggest it’s a good idea to have your child get the shot.
Studies show that vaccinated children developed levels of virus-fighting antibodies as strong as young adults.