Florida-based grocery store chain Publix has declined to offer COVID-19 vaccines to children under 5, despite federal regulators’ conclusion that the shots are safe and effective.
Publix said it would not offer the shots “at this time” and did not offer an explanation for its decision. It follows state officials’ choice to discourage COVID-19 shots for young children.
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“We suggest that customers speak with pediatrician’s offices, community health centers, children’s hospitals, and public health clinics for availability at this time,” a company spokesperson said.
The company’s decision not to offer shots to children 4 and younger sets it apart from other pharmacies in Florida, such as Walgreens, which are offering the vaccines to that age group. Walmart, meanwhile, will begin offering pediatric vaccines soon, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The move also contradicts federal guidance for pediatric vaccines. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ruled unanimously last week to authorize the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, citing their strong safety profile and efficacy against most strains of the virus, including omicron.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, both opponents of the pediatric vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have not established a state-run vaccination campaign, unlike every other state. Parents seeking the vaccines for their young children have to rely on pediatricians, medical clinics, and children’s hospitals.
“I would say we are affirmatively against the COVID vaccine for young kids,” DeSantis said last week. “These are the people who have zero risk of getting anything.”
Children are considerably less vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection than older adults, but the massive omicron wave last winter sent more children to the hospital than any previously dominant variant.
Florida stands as the only state that did not preorder doses of the vaccines before they received authorization, which means the shots will not make it there for at least another week.
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But Publix, which was a primary driver of the state’s vaccination program last year, is part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, enabling it to order shots directly from the government rather than rely on a state-run campaign. Publix was not affected by the DeSantis administration’s choice to forgo a state vaccination program. Over 780 children ranging in age from under 1 year old to 14 had died due to COVID-19 as of June 2, according to CDC data.
