DOH Limits Sarasota Square Clinics To 65+, Health Care Workers

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — Though Gov. Ron DeSantis has expanded vaccine eligibility in Florida, the Sarasota County Department of Health will continue to limit its regular vaccine clinics at Sarasota Square Mall to those 65 and older and frontline health care workers, according to an email from Brianne Grant, a media relations officer for the county.

When Florida’s vaccine distribution rolled out in December, it targeted three primary groups: those 65 and older, frontline health care workers, and residents and staff of long-term care facilities.

DeSantis issued an executive order Monday expanding this eligibility to include all K-12 school personnel, police officers and firefighters in the state who are 50 and older.

Those determined to be medically vulnerable to COVID-19 by a physician are also eligible for the vaccine, according to the executive order. The form for doctors to be filled out can be found here.

Later in the week, CVS, Publix and other retailers in Florida said they would offer the vaccine to teachers of all ages in accordance with President Joe Biden’s new guidelines for the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 vaccination. The president’s orders prioritize educators without any age limit.

DeSantis indicated support of Florida’s retail pharmacies offering the vaccine to educators of all ages but said state-run vaccine clinics will continue to focus on K-12 teachers who are 50 and older, South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

“Teachers who are younger can go to CVS and they will sign you up, but our [sites] are targeting seniors,” the governor said, according to the Sun Sentinel. “Our view is, if you’re 25, you’re just at less risk than somebody that’s 80. That’s just the bottom line.”

In Sarasota County, though, the county-run clinics at Sarasota Square Mall will remain limited to those 65 and older, and health care workers.

“There’s been a lot of questions surrounding the governor’s updated executive order on who can receive vaccines in the community,” Steve Huard, the Department of Health in Sarasota Count’s public information officer, said in a video shared to the county YouTube page Friday. “A lot of questions (have) surrounded individuals who are under the age of 65 and medically vulnerable.”

He encourages those who fall into that category to register to receive the vaccine through local retail pharmacies.

“Those are your best options to receive the vaccine,” Huard said.

At Sarasota Square Mall, the vaccinations are given by appointment only and pull from the county’s vaccine queue in the order people have registered through Sarasota County’s Everbridge vaccine registration system.

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“We cannot have people just walking up and expecting to receive a vaccine, whether you have a form (identifying you as medically vulnerable) or not,” Huard said.

The DOH will work with Sarasota County Schools, law enforcement agencies and fire departments to organize separate vaccination clinics for teachers, police officers and firefighters, he added.

“Please be patient, as we are working with your agencies to provide you that vaccine and that information will be coming out through your organizations. Please look for that in the coming days,” he said.

Those 65 and older and frontline health care workers who haven't signed up to receive the coronavirus vaccine in Sarasota County yet can do so online here. They can also register by calling 941-861-8297.