Florida sees 2,856 new COVID-19 cases as state reports 20,000 young teens vaccinated

ORLANDO, Fla. – State data shows over 20,000 young teens have been vaccinated in Florida as eligibility expanded to children as young as 12 nearly one week ago.

The latest vaccination report shows vaccination rates by age group, which now includes 12 to 14 and 15 to 24. According to the Florida Department of Health, 20,600 children in the youngest age range have already received one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

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Last week, children between 12 and 15 became eligible for the Pfizer vaccine in move that would pave the way for a more normal school year. According to the Associated Press, the Food and Drug Administration declared that the vaccine is safe and offers strong protection for younger teens based on testing of more than 2,000 U.S. volunteers ages 12 to 15.

Despite the many children who have been vaccinated already in Florida, there is still some hesitancy among parents regarding the vaccine for their children. Dr. Paul Offit, director of the vaccine education center, with the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, is encouraging parents to trust science and the data.

“While I understand that I think parents should be skeptical of everything that they put into their children’s bodies, at this point, you have enough information to say this vaccine is safe and effective,” he said.

Parents are not the only ones who are unsure about the vaccine. At a vaccine event this week, 1,229 people decided to get their first dose of the vaccine more than five months after select groups in Florida became eligible. One man said he knew many vaccination events were mobile units, so he didn’t know where to go but found a convenient option at Barnett Park. Click here to find out where you can get a vaccine.

[READ YESTERDAY’S REPORT: Nation sees confusion over masking as Florida reports 2,791 new COVID-19 cases]

Find the state-run COVID-19 dashboard below:

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

Cases

The Florida Department of Health reported 2,856 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the state’s overall total to 2,299,596 cases since the virus was first detected on March 1, 2020.

Deaths

Florida reported 45 new virus-related deaths Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 36,999. This number included the 728 non-residents who died in Florida.

Hospitalizations

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were currently 2,274 people with the virus hospitalized in Florida, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration.

Since March 2020, 93,598 people have been hospitalized in Florida after complications from COVID-19. That number includes the 210 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 4.16% Tuesday out of 68,653 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 2020 on COVID-19 vaccines administered throughout the state.

FDOH reports 7,728,153 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 Wednesday, 9,749,726 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 Wednesday.

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