Florida starts to restrict COVID vaccine

Amid shortages of vaccines to protect against the coronavirus, Florida's top health officer on Thursday advised counties across his state to prioritize available doses to residents, including so-called snowbirds who reside in the state part-time. Uncertainty over the vaccine supply has prompted concern over medical tourism, particularly those coming from overseas who could prevent some Florida seniors from getting their turn for vaccination first. Health officials have discounted that such a problem exists but moved anyway to make it more explicit that the state's supply of vaccines should be reserved for residents and others with strong ties to Florida.

In a two-page advisory signed by Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, the state Health Department noted that the “vaccine remains scarce with the United States and vaccine availability in Florida is extremely limited.”

As a result, Rivkees issued a public health advisory that directs “prioritization of Floridians for COVID-19 vaccine in Florida.”

That means vaccine providers must first ascertain whether a shot recipient is a permanent or seasonal resident by providing a driver's license or a host of other documents, including rental leases and utility bills as spelled out by the state Health Department.

Governor Ron DeSantis has downplayed so-called medical tourism, which he has called inappropriate, and said he would crack down on the practice by who he called “interlopers.” But state officials have said any such occurrences have been isolated. As it stands, less than 3.5% of the 1.2 million people administered vaccines in Florida have been from out of state, including “snowbirds.”

However, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez spoke on Tuesday, about people coming to Florida from other places. He was attending the opening of a major vaccination site at Marlins Park, home of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins.

"It is not legal for other people to be flying in from other parts of the world and getting vaccinated, as a sort of vaccination tourism."

Even before Rivkees issued his advisory, health departments in some Florida counties had already begun to restrict COVID-19 vaccines to state residents only as the demand continues to overwhelm local governments and hospitals. At least one hospital network had also announced earlier this week that it began restricting the vaccine to U.S. residents only.

The announcement of the added restrictions comes a week after state officials downplayed claims that nonresidents were swooping into the state to get vaccinated. Dina Allende (ay-en'-day) said she has been told stories about people coming to Florida for vaccinations. "I've heard of out-of-towners who are going to get inoculated."

Allende told Miami TV station WPLG that she made an appointment for her 86-year-old mother to get vaccinated this week. She said the medical facility cancelled the appointment and cited lack of supply. She was able to reschedule. "I started crying. I said I'm going to have to go through this whole process again. Fortunately I got an appointment for tomorrow," she said."

Image: Associated Press