FLORIDA — As confusion mounts over access to COVID-19 shots in Florida, one Tampa woman is among those hoping to get the vaccine but now questioning if she’ll be able to.
“I’d like to get one,” said Jen, who asked us only to refer to her by her first name. “I have an underlying health condition, so I’ve gotten one pretty consistently, but I’m unable to find a place to get one,” she said.
WATCH: Can you get a COVID-19 shot in Florida? Here’s what we know right now
About a month ago, Jen visited her local pharmacy as part of her annual vaccination routine, only to be turned away at the time.
Then she tried online.
“I tried online at CVS, at Walgreens, at Publix, at Costco, nothing. It's been a little stressful,” she said. “I don't know when I’ll be able to do it. I'm seeing different things in the news, and I don't know what the status is of the COVID shot.
That lack of clarity was made more complicated last week when the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr, a staunch vaccine critic, announced plans to scale back the availability of the shot this year.
The FDA recently approved the 2025/26 vaccine, but with limits to people at least 65 years old. Those younger must be considered high risk and have a prescription from their doctor.
The new guidelines forced the president’s press secretary to ease concerns.
“The FDA’s decision does not affect the availability of the vaccine to Americans who want it. We believe in individual choice,” Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
But what this all means for Florida remains to be seen.
While mainstream medical experts have deemed the miRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be safe, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo has long advocated against it.
“They are not fit for human use, it’s a terrible vaccine,” Dr. Ladapo said during a press conference last month.
And now, it appears, some of the nation’s largest pharmacies are also clamping down.
The Sunshine State is among 16 states where pharmacy giant CVS will require a doctor’s prescription with every shot.
Walgreens has announced it will provide vaccines, “in states where we are able to do so.”
A CDC advisory panel, expected to meet in a few weeks, may help clarify the confusion or exacerbate it, at a time when the line between medicine and politics has become so blurry that it’s difficult for all of us to discern.
“I feel like it's up to everybody whether they want to get the vaccine, and since they said I’m allowed to get it, I’d like to have access,” Jen said.
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Katie LaGrone focuses on making sure Florida’s laws actually work and her investigations have gotten results. If you know of a policy or law that’s not working how it’s intended, send Katie a message below.
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