Florida, with its sandy beaches and warm weather, has long been a destination for snowbirds and other visitors seeking an escape from dreary northern winters.
But as the state struggles to get enough coronavirus vaccine to meet demand, it’s unclear which non-residents are allowed to access the scarce number of doses available.
Last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis opened vaccine eligibility to anyone 65 and older. In the ensuing days, amid a tidal wave of interest that overloaded some appointment websites and call centers, frustrated Floridians began criticizing the early access given to snowbirds, who typically come for longer stays, and short-term visitors.
State officials have previously said there are no residency requirements to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Florida, and DeSantis has defended vaccinating snowbirds.
In recent days, however, the governor has suggested the state is distinguishing the part-time residents from “people who are just visiting” but has not offered specifics on how it’s doing so. In the meantime, some counties and hospital systems have announced new proof of residency requirements, some flat-out saying it was in response to guidance from DeSantis.
The result has been a patchwork of rules across the state about who may be eligible to get vaccine doses, leading to uncertainty and confusion among the state’s many part-time residents and visitors.
The inconsistent messaging has left 71-year-old Katherine Graham exhausted. The Tarpon Springs resident has been trying to get a vaccine appointment for her sister, who was set to visit her this weekend from Tennessee.
The Orange County health department, where she scheduled her own vaccine, told her non-residents could sign up, too, she said. But after seeing news reports about DeSantis’ comments this week, she called again and got a different answer.
“They told me, yes, you have to be a resident,” Graham recalled, adding: “How can they have the rule one way one day, and then all of a sudden the rules have changed and nobody knows why?”
A call to the Orange health department was not returned, and there is no residency requirement listed on its website. Other county health departments, including those in Tampa Bay, said Wednesday that they have no residency requirements or referred questions to the state health department.
“We have not been given any direction that prohibits us from vaccinating out-of-state residents,” Pasco County health department spokeswoman Megan Carmichael said, suggesting that reporters contact the state health department
The Tampa Bay Times has asked state officials three times for clarity on the issue since Jan. 12, but not received a response.
Meanwhile, the state’s largest health system, Jackson Health in Miami, announced this week that it will now require proof of U.S. residency for vaccination. Both Volusia and Seminole counties are now requiring proof of state residency, according to their websites.
Manatee County commissioner Misty Servia posted on Facebook Wednesday an “update from the governor” that Manatee would require proof of residency.
In neighboring Pinellas, County Administrator Barry Burton said Thursday he was not aware of any such directive from state officials. Nor were officials in Hillsborough County, with a county spokesman saying the governor’s office had not given them any specific directive on residency requirements.
State officials have said not many people are coming to Florida solely for vaccines, although there have been some high-profile examples around the state, particularly in South Florida, of foreign visitors getting shots.
As of Wednesday, about 39,000 non-residents had been vaccinated in Florida, compared to about a million residents, state data shows. That data doesn’t appear to differentiate between snowbirds and short-term visitors.
Health experts say it’s a good thing that Florida is vaccinating snowbirds because they could transmit the disease to others during their stay or take up the state’s hospital beds if they get sick.
But that requires more vaccine supply, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio stressed in a Jan. 14 letter to federal health officials. It was signed by 17 other members of Florida’s congressional delegation, including Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Republican from Palm Harbor.
“The state of Florida has committed to vaccinate both residents and non-residents,” the letter read. “This has understandably put a strain on the limited allotment.”
Florida does not keep track of the number of snowbirds who visit. But, according to pre-pandemic estimates, Tampa Bay alone welcomes more than 100,000 seasonal visitors a year.
Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Florida, said the state shouldn’t be thinking about geography when it comes to vaccines, but about getting shots to as many people as possible.
“If you’re here and willing to get the vaccine, let’s stick it in your arm,” she said.
Her own parents are snowbirds from the Midwest who got shots this month in South Florida. Both are in their 80s and have underlying conditions, Rasmussen said.
“They pay property taxes, they do spend six months a year,” she said. “They, by all rights, should get a vaccine even though their driver’s license says Minnesota.”
Dan Ward, a 55-year-old in St. Petersburg, understands that logic about snowbirds. Still, he’s frustrated by reports of people flying to Florida from other countries to get vaccines when his elderly parents, who live in Manatee County, haven’t been able to find an appointment.
“It’s not about nationalism,” Ward said. “It’s about, when does it end? If people know that Florida is the place to go, where does it stop? … Is everybody going to start flocking to Florida?”
He believes DeSantis isn’t turning snowbirds away because the state is desperate for tourism dollars after almost a year in a pandemic that’s canceled events and forced businesses closed. That’s creating an influx of seniors who are eligible for shots while full-time residents of the state, including essential workers, wait, Ward said.
DeSantis himself, while decrying vaccine tourism, has simultaneously celebrated the fact that people are looking for shots in Florida. “We’re obviously doing a good job of getting seniors shots if people are willing to come here from all over the place,” he said at a news conference in Jupiter on Tuesday.
It’s not that simple, though, said John Mosko, a 78-year-old snowbird from Michigan. He and his wife have traveled to Spring Hill each December for 16 years, and they’ve had no luck finding shots there.
The couple came to Florida because it’s what they always do, and to keep their rolling rental — not because they wanted a vaccine, Mosko said. In fact, they came expecting to get in line behind full-time Floridians, and based on their experience so far, still expect to go home without shots.
“I’m mulling over the wisdom of coming here,” Mosko said, noting that the couple’s friends in Michigan have already received their first doses of vaccine.
Graham, the Tarpon Springs resident, has told her sister not to visit this weekend after she said the Orange County health department told her of its residency requirement.
A staffer told her she could write a letter asking for an exception, she said. But she doesn’t want her sister to make the trek without knowing a vaccine is waiting for her.
“There is an awful lack of information,” Graham said, adding that her sister’s hopes of securing protection from the deadly virus have been dashed for now.
“All of sudden, you’re given the keys to heaven and they snatch it back.”
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The Link LonkJanuary 22, 2021 at 01:00AM
https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2021/01/21/is-florida-vaccinating-non-residents-or-not-its-hard-to-get-an-answer/
Is Florida vaccinating non-residents or not? It’s hard to get an answer. - Tampa Bay Times
https://news.google.com/search?q=hard&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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