COVID-19 vaccines are not yet available for the general public in Miami-Dade County, but the pool of eligible recipients continues to expand.
This morning, Jackson Health System president and CEO Carlos Migoya announced that police officers, firefighters, and school personnel working at K-12 schools can receive the vaccine, provided they are age 50 and older.
"We're working with various police departments, fire departments, and Miami-Dade public schools to sign employees up," Migoya says.
Last week, Jackson opened vaccine appointments to people aged 55 and older who had any of about a dozen specific health conditions. As of today, Miami-Dade residents over 50 who are receiving care for any condition their doctor believes places them at high risk for COVID-19 are eligible to be vaccinated. For those individuals, Jackson requires a doctor's note on a physician's letterhead or prescription pad listing the patient's name, the high-risk condition for which the doctor is treating the patient, and a recommendation that the patient be vaccinated.
A sample doctor's note for medically vulnerable people 50 years and older who are eligible to receive the vaccine.
Photo courtesy of Jackson Health System
First responders are required to show a badge or department ID at the vaccine site. School staff are required to show a school ID. Employees who work at any K-12 institution — be it a public, private, or charter school — are eligible. Anyone older than 50 who works at a school is eligible for the shot, including substitute teachers and after-school care workers.
Jackson administers the Pfizer vaccine, which requires two shots 21 days apart.
To schedule an appointment, visit Jackson Health's vaccine website or Miami-Dade County's vaccine website.
And for more vaccination sites across South Florida, see New Times' running list.
