Florida Governor Ron "DeSantis . . . said he remains committed to reserving second doses of the vaccine instead of pulling them out to use as first doses."
This is a big medical and political mistake, because:
- the flow of new vaccine shipments will be significantly larger a month from now, and
- the recommended number of days between the first and second doses is a minimum -- not a maximum.
There is no known danger from waiting an extra two or three weeks for a second shot, if necessary, except that you're not quite as well-protected for those two or three weeks. The worst that might happens is that a fraction of the fortunate few waiting for a second dose might have to stay home for a few days longer, just as unvaccinated elderly Floridians have done for months.
Those who have already had one vaccination but not two have far more protection against serious Covid infection than those who have had none. The number of unused vaccination doses is almost identical to the number who have received a first dose. In other words, the number of Florida seniors who have received that first vaccination is half as large as it could have been simply because their Governor "remains committed to" hoarding half of the state inventory in order to be 100% guaranteed of offering a timely second doses to the fortunate yet tiny minority of Florida seniors who have been able to get one of those artificially scarce first vaccinations.
Sarasota has had it with timid State schemes to gradually ration half of the state's COVID-19 vaccine stockpile in unpredictable tiny batches here and there and now and then. Local government is commonly quicker and more responsive than state government, while federal government lethargy (e.g., the FDA) makes state and cities look promptly attentive and remarkably quick.