Every adult in Florida now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine
TAMPA, Fla. - As of Monday morning, all adults in the state of Florida are now eligible to register and receive their dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Those who are at least 18 years of age can choose from the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Those who are 16 and 17 years old qualify for the vaccine as long as they receive the Pfizer brand/
As of now, Pfizer is the only vaccine manufacturer that has been approved for those 16 and up, and a parent or guardian must be present at the time of the vaccination.
The FEMA vaccine site at the Tampa Greyhound Track will continue to provide the Pfizer vaccine to give those who are 16 and older the opportunity to get the shot. However, starting Tuesday, all federally-supported vaccination sites in Florida will switch over to the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
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Long lines were building Monday morning at the Tampa Greyhound Track.
Emma Adey was among the first teens at Ed Radice Park in northwest Hillsborough County to be inoculated.
"She was ready and willing," her mom, Cheryl Adey, told FOX 13.
Although there was a steady flow of people rolling in and rolling up their sleeves at the park, there were not many teens on the first day of the new rules.
"I am glad that I am able to protect myself and others," Emma said. "A lot of my friends said they are not going to get it. I tried to convince them to help everybody out in our community, but I really wanted to get it."
According to medical experts, teens getting the vaccine is a big step in the right direction.
"This is going to be key to truly controlling the pandemic," commented Dr. Steven Achinger of Watson Clinic.
Teenagers usually don't get severe COVID-19 symptoms, and generally bounce back more easily than adults.
However, Achinger says teens are an important group to vaccinate.
"They are out with their peers, socializing with their peers, and interacting with their parents at home," he said. "So they are a potential source of spread of the illness."
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As of Monday morning, just over 3.5 million people have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida. In total, 10 million vaccines have been distributed.
"I think it’s a good sign that people are realizing the vaccine is a really good thing for my own health, the health of my family and community, and getting back to some semblance of normalcy," said Dr. Jason Salemi, USF College of Public Health associate professor of epidemiology.
According to the CDC, a total of 1.3 million vaccines will be distributed to Florida this week. This includes:
Johnson & Johnson: 313,000 doses
Moderna: 434,800 doses
Pfizer: 573,300 doses