BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A plan to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine is taking shape in Brevard County.
“I know we are all super excited for a vaccine because it means light at the end of the tunnel,” said John Scott, the operations coordinator of emergency management for Brevard County.
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On Tuesday, federal officials announced the first doses of a vaccine would be made available soon.
“If all goes well we could be distributing the vaccine soon after Dec. 10,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said.
In a video message released on Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed optimism for the vaccine’s arrival in Florida.
“We believe it will be delivered relatively soon,” DeSantis said.
I’ve been meeting with federal officials involved in Operation Warp Speed & have been able to get key questions answered for Florida. We have been working to procure therapeutic treatments for our hospitals & are ready to begin distributing vaccines pending FDA approval. pic.twitter.com/fGFS36CgRU
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) November 24, 2020
As the vaccine nears, Scott said the county is working on a distribution plan to meet all the demands.
“Our biggest challenge that makes us unique in the region is that we are just so long, we’re 72 miles long,” Scott said.
Scott said Brevard already has an existing framework of vaccinating the public following the release of the H1N1 vaccine in 2009. He said this roll out comes down to distribution and messaging across the county to people with vaccine priority.
“We’ve got to make sure that we’re balancing whatever we’re doing north, center, south and on the barrier islands so we are able to get the resources out to people as much as we can,” Scott said.
Until then, officials are calling for patience as county leaders work out logistics ahead of the vaccine’s arrival. Still, Scott is reinforcing virus protections before the vaccine is widely available.
“It’s been a long road for us all. We’ve got a little bit more to go and we need to make sure we finish strong,” he said.