Fewer Escambia County residents received the COVID-19 vaccination in April than March — 23,534 down from 32,857. Â The drop was 9,323 fewer shots – a 28.4% decrease.
Santa Rosa County only dropped 4.5%. Â The state of Florida only dropped 2%.
Escambia County has more locations available and has made more age groups eligible for the vaccination.
Maybe instead of hold a ceremony to burn the masks, the county administrator could offer he board of county commissioners a set of recommendations to increase vaccinations.
The state has a new program to vaccinate seniors at home. The county’s COVID-19 website mentions it in passing but I don’t recall reading about it in the News Journal or on Channel 3. The county could send a mailer to all seniors. If they have already been vaccinated, they could be encouraged to make sure that their senior friends and very senior parents know about the program and are encouraged to us it. I assume the program is being run here in Escambia County too because the county website mentions it and one of my neighbors got a mailer from the state about it. That seems a very good way to reach the most vulnerable who may might not have a car or may have other or serious health mobility challenges. The county might send out a mailer to all homes mentioning the senior at-home vaccination program but also driving home the point that if you have had COVID-19 you can get it again and if you have been vaccinated you can still get COVID-19. There is a phone number to call for the senior at-home vaccination program: (866) 779-6121. There is also a form online that can be completed and then gets sent to the people organizing the effort: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/981e561ca7f84b33a6ddcb3fa61cd575