TALLAHASSSEE, Fla. – ***5:17p.m. Dec. 17 Update***
A U.S. government advisory panel has endorsed a second COVID-19 vaccine. The action Thursday paves the way for the shot from Moderna to be added to the U.S. vaccination campaign. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to act quickly to authorize the vaccine for emergency use.
***Original***
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida is preparing to receive 367,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine as soon as next week, marking a second COVID-19 vaccine to distribute.
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He said the state is preparing to receive the doses next week, but it all depends on the Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
DeSantis said the Moderna vaccine would go to 173 hospitals that did not get the first shipment of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.
The state posted a list at this link of Florida hospitals to receive the Moderna vaccine.
State officials said they are able to distribute the Moderna vaccine to a large number of hospitals because it does not require ultra-cold storage.
On Wednesday morning, thousands of AdventHealth workers received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
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DeSantis said he wants to distribute vaccinations to long-term care facilities in Florida.
The governor also expects Johnson & Johnson to seek emergency use authorization in January for its COVID-19 shots.
This vaccine would only be one dose unlike Pfizer and Moderna and it requires normal refrigeration, according to DeSantis.