Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said his state has administered the coronavirus vaccine to over 400,000 seniors, a best in the nation number that he expects to grow significantly in the next week.
“Florida has vaccinated more than 400,000 seniors – more than any other state in the nation that’s reporting updates on this critical effort,” DeSantis said on Twitter. “We anticipate this number to grow, as Florida has reported more vaccinations this week than the previous 3 weeks combined.”
DeSantis attached a video to the tweet in which he lauded the state’s performance in distributing the vaccine and promised even more progress in the coming weeks.
“Even with the delayed reporting, we’re reporting almost 350,000 seniors that have received a coronavirus vaccine shot,” DeSantis said in the video. “There is no other state that is even close to us in terms of going for seniors. The vast majority of our total vaccinations are going to seniors and that percentage is going to grow more disproportionate in favor of seniors as we get through the next many, many weeks.”
Florida has vaccinated more than 400,000 seniors – more than any other state in the nation that’s reporting updates on this critical effort. We anticipate this number to grow, as Florida has reported more vaccinations this week than the previous 3 weeks combined. pic.twitter.com/9sd1FRi3QC
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 14, 2021
The governor’s website boasted Wednesday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun to follow Florida’s lead, updating its guidance to include giving those over 65 priority access to coronavirus vaccines.
Florida, a popular retirement destination due to its low tax rates and warmer weather, hosts a large population of seniors, with over 4.5 million residing in the state.
The CDC says that people over 65 are at more severe risk from the virus, with over 80% of all COVID-19 related deaths being attributed to the demographic.
Before the CDC’s updated guidance to open up vaccinations to seniors, DeSantis faced criticism from some who said his decision to prioritize the group had created “chaos” and long lines as people flooded the state’s medical facilities to receive their shots.
