As Florida rolls out Pfizer doses to children 12 and up, state reports 4,053 new COVID-19 cases

Central Florida locations already offering appointments

FILE - In this Jan. 24, 2021, file photo, a vial of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 is shown at a one-day vaccination clinic set up in an Amazon.com facility in Seattle and operated by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Pfizers vaccine is authorized for use in ages 16 and older. Experts have said vaccinating children of all ages will be critical to stopping the pandemic. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) (Ted S. Warren, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

ORLANDO, Fla. – U.S. health advisers supported the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children as young as 12 on Wednesday following the Food and Drug Administration’s approval earlier this week, expanding emergency use.

This vaccine has been used on teens as young as 16 here in the U.S. and in other countries, with Canada being the first to expand its use to 12 and older.

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The health advisers said during a committee meeting that the opportunity to vaccinate children will “let kids safely attend camps this summer and help assure a more normal return to classrooms next school year,” according to the Associated Press.

The major question advisers discussed was whether it was OK to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as other routine vaccinations, ultimately concluding the vaccine is safe enough to receive others needed. The vaccine doses, as well as the schedule, will be the same as adults who receive the vaccine.

Pharmacies and county sites in Florida started rolling out appointments for the new age group Wednesday evening. Most locations are offering the Pfizer vaccine, but there are some sites only offering Moderna or Johnson & Johnson that will not provide appointments to 12 and up since it is not approved for the age group.

Along with these locations, school districts in Central Florida are also working to provide vaccinations to students at the schools. The vaccine’s approval for children as young as 12 comes as the country looks ahead to a more normal school year for students this coming fall.

[READ YESTERDAY’S REPORT: Florida sees 3,190 new COVID-19 cases as US prepares to begin first shots of Pfizer for children]

Find the state-run COVID-19 dashboard below:

Below is a breakdown of Florida COVID-19 data reported by the state on May 13.

Cases

The Florida Department of Health reported 4,053 new cases on Thursday, bringing the state’s overall total to 2,282,613 cases since the virus was first detected on March 1, 2020.

Deaths

Florida reported 50 new virus-related deaths Thursday, bringing the death toll to 36,648. This number included the 719 non-residents who died in Florida.

Hospitalizations

As of Thursday afternoon, there were currently 2,684 people with the virus hospitalized in Florida, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration.

Since March 2020, 92,742 people have been hospitalized in Florida after complications from COVID-19. That number includes the 188 new patients who have been recently hospitalized due to the virus, according to the health department’s daily report released on Thursday.

Positivity rate

The percent of positive results was 4.41% Wednesday out of 91,977 tests. The numbers reported daily by the state reflect test results from the day prior. Health officials say the rate should remain between 5% and 10% to prove a community has a hold of the virus and is curbing infections.

Vaccinations

The Florida Department of Health began releasing a daily report in December 2020 on COVID-19 vaccines administered throughout the state.

FDOH reports 7,327,823 people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. These individuals either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or completed a two-shot series.

As of Thursday, 9,436,587 people have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Below is the Central Florida region breakdown of new cases, deaths and hospitalizations for Thursday.

CountyCasesNew CasesHospitalizationsNew hospitalizationsDeathsNew deaths
Brevard42,045
1122,394
4879
0
Flagler7,371
12406
1110
-1
Lake30,075
981,515
5639
1
Marion31,405
472,182
3965
-2
Orange139,843
3352,800
71,279
1
Osceola45,218
981,473
0515
0
Polk69,532
1385,303
101,339
2
Seminole34,487
581,257
4501
0
Sumter9,374
5579
0278
0
Volusia43,794
842,321
4811
3

To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter and go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.


About the Author:

Brenda Argueta is a digital journalist who joined ClickOrlando.com in March 2021. She is the author of the Central Florida Happenings newsletter that goes out every Thursday.