Letter to the Hon. Ron DeSantis, Gov. of Florida - Florida Lawmakers Urge Governor Desantis to Improve Statewide Vaccine Distribution

Letter

Dear Governor DeSantis:
We write to share serious concerns about the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida:
 The CDC recently reported over 1 million unused vaccines "on hold" in our state,
demonstrating that even though we need more vaccine doses from the Federal
government, more can be done to expeditiously administer the vaccines we do receive.
 Public messaging about vaccine distribution and availability has been confusing,
misleading, and is creating a perception of unfairness and political motivation.
 Health agencies, hospitals, and other providers are not getting timely updates about
vaccine allocation, forcing them to conserve supplies for the following week's
appointments that could otherwise be administered.
 Many healthcare providers administering vaccines do not have the technology
infrastructure to schedule appointments in the absence of state support.
 Most private physicians who have registered through Florida SHOTS are not receiving
vaccines but have become aware that certain concierge doctors have received allotment.
 Religious centers, homeowners' associations, and other community organizations eager
to participate in the administration of vaccines have not received information on how to do
so.
 The state has not been transparent about its distribution plan. Despite publishing a
preliminary plan in October of 2020, the state has not shared written updates to the plan.
Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees recently made public statements indicating that
the department is relying on your December 23, 2020 Executive Order, which merely
lists three priority categories and does not lay out a comprehensive distribution strategy.
Based on these concerns we urge you to consider the following:
1. Improve communication to local public health agencies and providers.
Make all vaccine allotment information transparent and immediately accessible to all
county health directors. This information is central to more efficiently administering
vaccines and evaluating gaps in distribution that could disadvantage vulnerable and
underserved communities.

2. Provide more robust and consistent vaccine information to the public.
Deploy public service announcements, including for non-English speakers, to ensure all
Floridians have access to important information about the vaccine, including where and
to whom doses are being allocated. Provide community health centers, independent
pharmacies, homeowner's associations, religious centers, and other community
organizations with clear guidance on the process for developing vaccine distribution
partnerships. We stand ready to assist you in disseminating this information.

3. Support public health agencies and other providers with technology solutions.
Deliver technological guidance and support, as needed, to entities assisting with vaccine
distribution to overcome the challenges we have seen with websites and phone lines
crashing from surges in vaccine-related inquiries and scheduling.
We appreciated meeting with Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz
recently to discuss how we can best assist the state with vaccine distribution and encourage you
to make regular briefings with the congressional delegation a part of your administration's
COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

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