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April 5: The Day All Floridians 18 And Older Can Get A COVID-19 Vaccine, DeSantis Says

AP
AP

TALLAHASSEE - Florida will open eligibility requirements to anyone 18 and older on April 5, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday.

Starting March 29, the eligibility requirement for getting the vaccine will drop from 50 to 40, the governor said in a news release. The age requirement dropped from 60 to 50 on Monday.

"We have now vaccinated over 70% of the roughly 4.4 million seniors living in the state. We have also made great progress on those age 60 to 64 and those age 50 and older," DeSantis said in announcing the next steps.

The governor urged people interested in getting the vaccine to pre-register at www.myvaccine.fl.gov. They will then be notified when the vaccine is available in their area. There is also vaccine pre-registration phone number in each county for anyone who does not have online access.

The vaccines are also available at 150 CVS locations, 125 Wal-Mart and Sam's Club locations, more than 70 Winn Dixie locations, and every single one of the 730 Publix pharmacies across Florida. Soon, the vaccine will also be available at more than 600 Walgreens pharmacies statewide.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration announced Thursday it was giving $368 million in federal funds starting next month to 47 community health centers across the state to help with vaccination efforts.

Community health centers, which meet a set of federal criteria to qualify, serve vulnerable populations, including the uninsured, the under-insured, those living below poverty levels and those in rural areas who struggle to access care.

The Associated Press is a wire service to which WUFT News subscribes.