Growing Concern About Limited COVID-19 Vaccine Supplies
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Hundreds of people 65 and older with appointments lined up at Marlins Park on Wednesday to receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
It was the first day of vaccinations at the site. The plan is to vaccinate a thousand people a day while supplies last.
The new site comes as other sites in the county have scaled back due to vaccine supply concerns.
"Obviously it's a tremendous worry. Our community is depending on the federal government and the state to get vaccines to us to vaccinate the public," said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
He said they have big plans
"We're actually ramping up and preparing to vaccinate people at a much greater level," said Suarez.
That's a sharp contrast to Tropical Park and Baptist Health which were forced to cancel some vaccinations due to a shortage of supplies.
"I think right now there's a hiccup that soon might be resolved. It's a definite priority here in Florida," said Republican state Senator Ileana Garcia.
"I'm hopeful with the inauguration of the president production goes way up and we will be able to get significantly more," said Suarez.
Related: What You Need To Know About Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine In South Florida
Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees said he does not know when additional first doses of the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines will be sent to the state.
In contrast, Senator Rick Scott tweeted that Florida will be allocated an additional 266,100 vaccine doses next week.
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"I think we're all concerned. I think another ray of hope is that Johnson and Johnson are rolling out something new as well," said Garcia.
Newly elected U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar said she's spoken to the governor about getting more of the vaccines.
"I have been talking to Governor DeSantis and he assures me he's been working diligently to be able to get the dosages to the State of Florida," she said.
Like Suarez, she too contracted the virus. She tested positive last month.
"I had COVID, I know what it is. I am still being monitored. For some people it's just a sneeze, for some people it's a big problem. Look at me. I couldn't go to the inauguration because my doctor told me I can not confront a harsh climate. I need to take it easy and I'm a young person, I know how important an issue this is for people 65 and older," said Salazar.
Salazar said getting more vaccine is a top priority for her. She said she was told there will be a surge in supplies for Florida within the next two weeks.
