Broward Health Ending COVID Shots As Demand Decreases, Availability Increases
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - Due to a decrease in demand and an increase in access to coronavirus vaccines across the county, Broward Health will be winding down its vaccination program.
The health system announced they will wrap up giving first doses on Friday, April 23rd. It said it will continue to vaccinate scheduled individuals over the coming weeks and play a role in future vaccinations and COVID-19 care as needed.
"It has been our great privilege to serve our community these past months, and we are grateful for the numerous ways in which local businesses, public officials, and you, our neighbors, have supported our efforts throughout the pandemic," Broward Health said in a statement.
Since their vaccine program began, Broward Health has administered more than 100,000 vaccinations to caregivers and the community.
On Wednesday, Jackson Health System announced they would be ending their vaccination program. They will stop providing first shots to the public after April 30. Anyone who receives the first shot at Jackson is guaranteed a second dose, with those appointments continuing through May 21.
Since administering its first shot on December 15, 2020, Jackson Health has vaccinated more than 167,000 people and administered a total of 301,000 Pfizer doses.
While Broward and Jackson will stop giving first doses, Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease specialist with FIU, said this does not mean people are not getting vaccinated in South Florida.
"Now there are more sites available. Before you couldn't even get an appointment. We do have a tremendous amount of vaccine compared to demand and if you look at it we have put vaccines in arms in over 40% of our population," she said.
According to the Florida Health Department, more than 1.1 million Miami-Dade residents have received a vaccine.
In Broward County, close to 800,000 residents have been inoculated.
However, to reach herd immunity 70 to 80% of the population must be vaccinated.
