Florida reports 7,886 new cases as FEMA sites, mobile clinics prepare for fewer J&J doses

ORLANDO, Fla. – As state vaccination efforts continue, data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Florida will receive about 276,000 fewer doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine next week compared to this week’s allocation.

Despite the cut of J&J single-dose vaccines, officials with the Florida Division of Emergency Management said they do not believe the fewer doses will impact overall vaccination efforts as this vaccine is primarily used by FEMA-backed vaccine sites and one-day mobile vaccination clinics.

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FEMA-backed vaccination sites made the switch to administering J&J doses earlier this week. The state said it is prepared to allocate Pfizer or Moderna vaccine doses if requested. The CDC data shows Florida’s Pfizer and Moderna shipments for next week are about the same as this week’s allocation.

The governor’s office said Gov. Ron DeSantis received his COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday, opting for the single-dose J&J vaccine. Prior to getting vaccinated, the governor repeatedly said the J&J vaccine would be the one he’d likely get.

A common question about vaccines is whether one is more effective than another. Experts say though it’s difficult to compare, the vaccine doses are alike in preventing hospitalizations and deaths, according to the Associated Press.

A recent study shows antibodies from the Moderna vaccine last at least six months after the second dose, similar to research released by Pfizer showing its vaccine continues to be effective for up to six months.

[READ YESTERDAY’S REPORT: Florida boosts nationwide COVID count with 5,789 new infections ]

Find the state-run COVID-19 dashboard below:

Below is a breakdown of Florida COVID-19 data reported by the state on April 8.

Cases

The Florida Department of Health reported 7,886 new cases on Thursday, bringing the state’s overall total to 2,104,686 cases since the virus was first detected on March 1, 2020.

Deaths

Florida reported 86 new virus-related deaths Thursday bringing the death toll to 34,562. This number includes the 656 non-residents who died in Florida.

Hospitalizations

As of Thursday afternoon, there were currently 3,032 people with the virus hospitalized in Florida, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration.

Since last March, 86,499 people have been hospitalized in Florida after complications from COVID-19. That number includes the 207 new patients who have been recently hospitalized due to the virus, according to the health department’s daily report released on Wednesday.

Positivity rate

The percent of positive results was 6.73% Wednesday out of 117,112 tests. The numbers reported daily by the state reflect test results from the day prior. Health officials say the rate should remain between 5% and 10% to prove a community has a hold of the virus and is curbing infections.

Vaccinations

The Florida Department of Health began releasing a daily report in December on COVID-19 vaccines administered throughout the state.

FDOH reports 4,053,597 people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. These individuals either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or completed a two-shot series.

As of Thursday, 6,786,461 people have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Below is the Central Florida region breakdown of new cases, deaths and hospitalizations for Thursday.

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