Broward County hospital gets first shipment of Covid-19 vaccine

Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood was among the first places in Florida to get the first shipment of the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer on Monday.

Calling it a “historic day,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said five hospital systems – including Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami-Dade County, which will get the shipment on Tuesday – were selected for the initial rollout of the vaccine because they have the ability to store it properly.

DeSantis said in a news conference that Florida will have around 179,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine by the end of this week.

The first doses will go to high-contact, front-line doctors, nurses, and other health care workers at the five hospitals and then they will be given to residents of long-term care facilities across Florida.

“This is a game-changer,” DeSantis said at Tampa General Hospital. “It’s a great day for the United States. It’s a great day for the state of Florida.”

An advisory committee for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will meet on Thursday to decide whether to recommend a Covid-19 vaccine produced by Moderna.

If approved, DeSantis said he expects the first shipments of the Moderna vaccine arriving in Florida by the following Tuesday.

According to DeSantis, Florida is expected to receive 365,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine.