Let's speak frankly about Florida's vaccination process.
I keep hearing statistics that more people outside of Florida are getting vaccinated in Florida, than Florida residents. And I'm wondering if part of the problem is that they're getting through the priority categories that were set up to give preferential treatment to certain categories of people?
I know De Santis did something screwy at the beginning, putting Seniors ahead of first line responders, but is it possible that people under 65 are just calling in for appointments and they're not getting screened out properly?
I am asking because I saw the news last night and it made it sound like it's easy-peasy, make an appointment. But not once did they say that these appointments were only for people over 65 or first line responders.
So, is Florida doing it's usual double speak, where policy is only holding back people who follow rules?
= new reply since forum marked as read
...there is a random, but biased system that caters to white, repubs mostly. No one actually knows who is getting the vaccine deliveries other than a portion that comes to each county health department - estimates of 1/4th to 1/3rd, but the actual number controlled by the DOH offices is suspect.
At any rate, the DOH set ups are usually overrun quickly when they get an allocation even though they have done better the last few weeks as far as I can see around here.
There are a bunch of vaccine allocations to Publix and various health systems (like hospitals). CVS and Walgreens and private MDs don't seem to have much or any vaccine yet. Those hospitals and health systems set up their own email lists or websites that are supposed to follow the DeSatan's rules (over 65 for example). It is a bit misleading, because those hospitals don't always advertise to the public at large, but may send an email or broadcast to some select population - which explains some of the geographic and demographic disparities. I got my vaccine shot from one of the hospital email lists, that was completely booked up within a few hours of the broadcast.
If you have time to hunt on line, and if you know where to look, and if you can travel; then you can get an appointment in a few days or maybe a few weeks. I know a bunch of locals who get an appointment an hour or two away at a hospital or Publix. That's what the snowbirds and folks from South America are doing...someone hunts them down an a appointment, and they fly in and get the vaccine. I suspect that Florida got a large allocation because of DeSatan, but I don't know for sure.
All our Hospitals here fall under the Lee Health system and many Doctors here are in the Lee Physicians Group which is tied into the Lee Health System.
With that said, I did not make an appointment, Friday morning my infectious disease Doctor's office called me & asked me if I wanted the COVID-19 vaccine which of course I said yes & they told me to be at the Cape Coral Hospital at 1:30pm to get my shot.
While I was at the Hospital, I did ask the nurse if she could tell me how the process worked there & this is what she told me (paraphrasing) With Lee Health's vaccine supply they used the State's guidelines to distribute the vaccine to Lee Physicians Group patients. I am only 57 years old but with all my underlying health conditions my name was red flagged for the vaccine.
I cannot speak of any other places here in Lee County that has the vaccine because I do not know.
I hope this post makes sense.
Bill 
The worst part in Florida is that there is no uniformity for the Counties. Each County does what it wants to & to me that is nothing but chaos.
I know this idea will piss off the right (a plus if you ask me), I would like to see a mandate from the Federal Government on how to get people vaccinated. Leaving it up to the States then in our case passing it on to the Counties, was an unbelievably bad idea.
I wish you & everyone God speed on getting vaccinated.
Bill 
