A planned pause in Florida’s vaccine deliveries to Miami-Dade’s may close vaccination sites in Tropical Park and Zoo Miami.
“As of right now, Miami-Dade County has not received any vaccine allocation for this current week to maintain our vaccination [sites] nor will we receive any for next week,” Frank Rollason, Miami-Dade’s emergency director, said. “Bottom line — with what we currently have on-hand, we will be out of vaccine early next week and shut down until the State provides another supply.”
The supply issues could prevent Miami-Dade from offering new slots to people next week.
“What it is, is frustrating,” he Florida Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz said. “We are frustrated, too.”
Vaccine supply being allocated to states from the federal level has put the states in a bind when it comes to county allocations. After, doses earmarked for long-term care facilities and pharmacy programs, the rest is divided among the 67 counties.
Miami-Dade, will get 22,000 to be divided for the Hard Rock Stadium site, the Marlins Park site and the three sites run by Jackson Health System, there will not be enough for Tropical Park and Zoo Miami.
“I have assured the mayor that as soon as the federal government sends more vaccine and county allocations increase, we will make sure we send vaccine for the zoo and for Tropical Park,” Moskowitz said. “This is why it’s not a distribution problem. A distribution problem would be that we don’t have the sites to get the vaccine out.“
For now, the state is trying to maintain some sense of stability among the 77 vaccine distribution sites.
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