TAMPA (WFLA) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was at Tampa General Hospital Monday morning following the delivery of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Approximately 20,000 doses arrived at the hospital Monday morning by FedEx truck, a pandemic milestone Florida residents, doctors, and politicians have been waiting for since March.
DeSantis said he expects nearly 1 million doses of the vaccine to be shipped to Florida in the month of December. The governor said the doses will be administered to health care professionals first before going out to residents of long-term care facilities and nursing homes.
The general population will be able to get their shot by sometime in February, DeSantis believes, depending on the speed of approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“Talk is cheap. Yeah, we saw FedEx deliver it, we’re saying how great it is, but let’s actually get some shots in arms,” DeSantis said.
The press conference concluded with a Tampa General Hospital nurse becoming the first Tampa resident to receive the vaccine.
Tampa General Hospital says it can safely store over 500,000 doses of the vaccine, so it will be ready when more doses get shipped out.
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