Ron DeSantis: Florida Will Not Host State-Run Vaccine Sites for Children

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said again on Thursday that there will be no mandates for children to receive coronavirus vaccinations in Florida.

He also said officials will not set up state-run vaccination sites similar to the ones opened at the beginning of the year for adults, WFLA reported.

“The vaccines are going to everybody in the normal medical system the way it is,” DeSantis explained. “So we’re not doing vaccine sites. They’re at the pharmacies. They’re readily available for everybody.”

“I don’t think there’s any difference in the vaccine that’s doing,” he continued. “I think they may take a lower dosage. So there’s no shortage of availability of any of that. But it’s not something that the state is administering at this point. We basically got it through the whole economy in April. So it’s been available at every drug store since then.”

During the press conference at Cecil Field in Duval County, the governor said the decision to vaccinate a child for the coronavirus was a parent’s decision.

“It’s already not lawful to mandate the COVID vaccine for young children, and we’re gonna make sure that that is enforced and that parents are the ones that can make these key decisions for their children and for their future,” he noted.

U.S. health officials on Tuesday gave final clearance to Pfizer’s child-size coronavirus shot, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

“The Food and Drug Administration already authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11 — doses just a third of the amount given to teens and adults. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines,” the outlet said.

Meanwhile, DeSantis has made it clear he will do everything he can to stop the federal government from forcing Florida residents to choose to either receive the coronavirus vaccine or lose their jobs.

“I will not let the heavy hand of government force Floridians to take a shot. That violates their constitutional rights, infringes on their medical freedom, and threatens their livelihoods,” DeSantis said on social media.