MIAMI — Pediatricians across Florida have begun ordering COVID-19 vaccines for their patients under 5 after Gov. Ron DeSantis changed course Friday and allowed doctors and hospitals in the state to get them from a federal program.
On Thursday, Florida doctors and hospitals could not preorder the vaccine for their infant and toddler patients because the state health department refused to order the vaccines from the federal government, the only state in the country that took this stance, the Herald reported Wednesday. The state’s top health official disagrees with the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to authorize the vaccine for the young children, the last group in the country to get the vaccines.
Dr. Lisa Gwynn, president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said Friday she was “thrilled” with the state’s decision to let doctors order the vaccine from the federal program. The chapter has 3,000 members.
