Florida doctors can order supplies of COVID vaccine for kids under 5, White House says
CBSN
Washington — Florida doctors will be able to directly order COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 from the federal government, the White House said Friday, after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state would not order and distribute the shots in the state.
The state was the only jurisdiction in the nation to decline to place advance orders for the pediatric shots, which received authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on Friday. Final authorization from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected in the coming days, clearing the way for the last remaining unvaccinated age group to obtain shots.
The White House has been sharply critical of DeSantis' position, but in a statement Friday, it welcomed the news that he was permitting individual doctors to order vaccines for their patients. While doctors in Florida won't be able to access a statewide stockpile immediately after final authorization comes through, the state health department says doctors could get the shots within several days or a week.
