HEALTHCARE

Florida hospitals, physicians scramble as DeSantis opts out of vaccine order for young kids

Liz Freeman
Naples Daily News

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Pediatricians and children’s hospitals are scrambling to figure out how to deal with a potential delay in getting COVID-19 vaccines for young children after Florida became the only state to not pre-order supply.

Every state except Florida put in an order for young children's doses from the federal government by the Tuesday deadline in anticipation of regulators authorizing use of the vaccines for children under 5 years old, a decision that came from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

An expert panel earlier this week unanimously found Moderna's vaccine safe for children 6 months to 6 years old for providing protection against the virus. The committee voted to support a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 6 months to 5 years. 

The vaccines could be available as soon as this Tuesday if the Food and Drug Administration’s commissioner and the Centers for Disease Control signs off for emergency use in this age group.

The Biden administration has made 10 million vaccines for young children available as soon as approval is provided, which will be delivered to children’s hospitals, pediatricians and pharmacies.

The vaccine will be made available free at pharmacies across the country, but the Biden administration is making a big push for pediatricians and primary care providers, children's museums, libraries, children's hospitals and health clinics.

When asked about Florida being the only state not to order supply, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday: “We encouraged Florida on several occasions to order vaccines and we continue to do so.”

'The risks outweigh the benefits':Florida is only state not to pre-order COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5

Previous coverage:Florida to be first state to recommend healthy kids not get COVID-19 vaccine, contradicting CDC

In case you missed it:Florida leads nation in new COVID deaths, CDC data shows

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a June 2022 media event where he responded to questions regarding his decision not to request from the federal government COVID-19 vaccination shots for young children.

DeSantis defends decision not to order supply

DeSantis on Thursday defended Florida’s choice against pre-ordering COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of five. 

“Our Department of Health has been very clear,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Miami. “The risks outweigh the benefits and we recommend against.”

DeSantis blamed “media hysteria” and misinformation as the motive for urging vaccinations upon young children. Florida recommends vaccinations only for individuals 5 and older, despite an FDA panel saying on Wednesday the vaccine is safe for children six months and older.

DeSantis said Floridians are still “free to choose,” but explained Florida will not use state resources to inoculate young children.

“There’s a surplus of this. Doctors can get it. Hospitals can get it.  But there’s not going to be any state programs that are going to be trying to get COVID jabs to infants and toddlers and newborns. That’s not something we think is appropriate.”

Pediatricians rail against failure to preorder

The Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics blasted the “failure of Florida leaders” to preorder the vaccine and encourages parents to contact the governor’s office.

The organization is working to find options for Florida families who want to protect their youngest children, while urging DeSantis to reconsider a decision that puts thousands of infants, toddlers, and young children in Florida at risk, according to a statement Friday.

“Parents of children under 5 should be given the same choice as all other parents in Florida when it comes to vaccinating their children against COVID-19,” Dr. Lisa Gwynn, president of the Florida chapter, said. “Right now, pediatricians can place orders for vaccines for our patients 5 and older, but not for our youngest ones. The state’s decision to obstruct access to COVID-19 vaccines is anti-science, an affront to parental rights, and an intrusion into the relationship between doctors, patients, and the families they serve.”

The COVID-19 vaccine distribution system is state-based and not designed to allow individual doctors or institutions to order directly from the manufacturer, according to the Florida chapter, which has 2,600 members.

As a result, if a state fails to pre-order an allotment of vaccines, as is the case in Florida, the vaccines will be available only to federally qualified health centers and certain pharmacies, not to hospitals, private practice pediatricians, or family practice physicians.

In addition, clinicians cannot administer vaccines formulated for older populations to younger children.

Gwynn added: “Our phones are ringing off the hook with concerned parents eager to know where they can get the vaccine. Right now, we don’t have a good answer.”

Since the start of the pandemic, more than 30,000 children younger than 5 have been hospitalized with COVID-19, and more than 500 in this age group have died, according to the organization.  

Hospitals unsure how they will get supply

Officials at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, which has outpatient centers in Fort Myers and Sarasota, said it typically waits to receive supply from the state.

"While we understand the state of Florida has not ordered vaccine supply, we are looking into other ways to provide the vaccine for this vulnerable age group as we wait for full authorization and recommendations at the federal level," a hospital statement said.

Officials at Lee Health in Lee County, which owns the regional Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida, did not signal any alarm about the state's decision not to preorder supply.

"Lee Health will have vaccine available for parents who choose to vaccinate their 6-month to 5-year-old children once the COVID vaccines receive (emergency use authorization) approval from the federal government," Dr. Stephanie Stovall, chief clinical officer of quality and safety said. "We recommend parents consult with their pediatricians on what is best for their children."

A spokesman for CVS Health, the national pharmacy chain, said CVS is not impacted.

"As a federal pharmacy partner, we are able to order vaccines directly from the federal government," spokesman Matt Blanchette said in an email.

The University of Florida Health system in Gainesville declined to comment when contacted Thursday.

COVID-19 remains threat for children

Nearly 75,000 Floridians have died from COVID-19, while almost 6.3 million cases have been officially reported since the pandemic began in 2020.

Although young children have largely been spared the worst of COVID-19, they can become seriously ill, and more than 200 have died from infections, according to data presented by the FDA.

Half of the young children hospitalized with COVID-19 did not have any preexisting conditions before they fell ill, the FDA said.

The outside experts voted unanimously that the benefits of the shots outweigh any risks for children under 5 — that’s roughly 18 million youngsters. They are the last age group in the U.S. without access to COVID-19 vaccines and many parents have been eager to protect their little children.

“This is a long-awaited vaccine,” said FDA panel member Dr. Jay Portnoy. “There are so many parents who are absolutely desperate to get this vaccine, and I think we owe it to them to give them a choice to have the vaccine if they want to.”

Dr. Peter Marks, FDA’s vaccine chief, opened the meeting with data showing a “quite troubling surge’’ in young children’s hospitalizations during the omicron wave, and noted 442 children under 4 have died during the pandemic. That’s far fewer than adult deaths, but should not be dismissed in considering the need for vaccinating the youngest kids, he said.

USA Today Network - Florida reporter Jason Delgado, Liz Freeman at the Naples Daily News and USA Today contributed to this report.