Florida stops releasing number of people overdue for second dose of COVID vaccine https://www.wfla.com/community/heal...ple-overdue-for-second-dose-of-covid-vaccine/ The Florida Department of Health is no longer publishing the number of people who are overdue for their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Department says the number was causing confusion, but some state lawmakers argue the move is yet another example of a lack of transparency. High demand and low supply continues to plague the COVID vaccine rollout. “People are calling my office desperate, yelling, screaming. Elderly, infirm, sick people and they can’t get a vaccine,” said State Senator Lori Berman. Some hospitals have stopped giving out first doses to ensure an adequate supply for those who are eligible for booster shots. As of the last reported numbers, there were more than 40,000 Floridians classified as overdue for their second shot. More than 40,000 in Florida overdue for 2nd dose of coronavirus vaccine To the dismay of some Florida lawmakers, the Department of Health decided Wednesday to stop publishing those statistics. “You know, the more data the better to help our government make informed decisions and for the public to hold the government accountable,” said state Representative Anna Eskamani. In an emailed statement, the DOH says the decision to stop reporting the numbers is two fold. One, it said the stats aren’t reported by the CDC, and two, it said the designation was misleading. “This number is being removed to align with CDC reporting, which only includes information on first dose and series complete (first and second dose),” said Jason Mahon, Interm DOH Communications Director. “This number is being removed as it may cause confusion related to the following CDC guidance.” That guidance from the CDC said in part, “There is no maximum interval between the first and second doses for either vaccine.” Mahon said it means no one is in fact ‘overdue’. “No one is overdue for their second dose, but rather, will be eligible for their second dose. The Department of Health continues to recommend that individuals receive their second dose at 28 days for the Moderna vaccine, or 21 days for the Pfizer vaccine,” said Mahon. Some lawmakers still argue it would be beneficial to know how many people who are eligible for the second dose are in the pipeline. “So that we can provide clarity and comfort and answers to Floridians that are waiting their turn,” said Eskamani. “Not providing insight into how many people need a second booster shot impacts the timeline for when our teachers can get vaccinated, for when our essential workers can get vaccinated. At this point we’re operating without a transparent plan.” The lawmakers we spoke with also said they are hopeful the new Biden administration will work to ramp up vaccine production and better communicate to the states how many vaccines they can expect to receive on a long-term basis. We did ask for an interview with the Surgeon General and the Director of the Division of Emergency Management for this story to provide more clarity, but our requests went unanswered.
After Unused Vaccines Are Thrown in Trash, Cuomo Loosens Rules Now, employees who interact with the public, including pharmacy cashiers, qualify. It was the second time in two days that the state amended its rules.
Well we will never know how many vaccine doses Florida throws in the trash because they are one of the few states that doesn't report on this, eh.
When you read the AP article --- it appears that California still provides all the data but started to group it by 5 regions rather than by county. And their model (for re-opening) is only based on historic infection rates rather than current rates. California is providing all the raw data, the models, and piles of other COVID data --- as outlined in the article. The only question is how the governor's office arrives at red/green re-opening decisions. The article provides links to the California data model and other resources - https://calcat.covid19.ca.gov/cacovidmodels/ Where are the Florida COVID data models? Certainly California provides much more data than Florida.
I would urge everyone to read the article. AP is generally a non-biased news source. In this case the title of the article is not aligned with what the content states. The only question is how the governor is making open/closed decisions based on the data -- Newsom's process for arriving at the decisions is not clear and appears to be politically driven rather than science driven (based on the article). But, of course, this is California where every evening newscast shows large numbers of people not following mask mandates or any other rules. At this point Newsom's mandates are less than effective simply because many people are not following them in L.A. (urban) and other rural CA counties.
Ah, I think I understand. The AP, which is a news organization you have said before that you trust, is not correct in what it is saying in the title of this article. So it is either a narrative driven, an outright lie or stupidity. Either way, the article is claiming something that isn't true, so we shouldn't trust the article. But we can trust the Orlando Sentinel and other smaller institutions when they push editorials because the narrative that they believe in is the same one you believe in. Said another way, when California (or anywhere else, for that matter) is accused of doing the same things you accuse Florida repeatedly of, the articles do not tell the full truth or there is something that must be reconciled between what is being claimed in the title and what is the actual evidence. But when it is Florida, hell - the game is on. Throw as much mud as you can, as fast as possible. Its all true.