ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida board that oversees pharmacies sought to clear up any confusion over administering the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday.
The Florida Board of Pharmacy said pharmacies could distribute the shot with a doctor’s prescription, or if the pharmacy has a protocol under a physician to administer vaccines.
That means many pharmacies are able to administer the COVID vaccine to two groups:
People 65 and older
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The move comes after a federal vaccine panel declined to recommend COVID-19 shot guidelines last week.
The decision was meant to leave the decision up to doctors and individual patients.
Once the acting CDC director formally adopts the recommendations, vaccines should become available to children three years and older.
[WATCH: Here’s why it’s difficult to get the COVID vaccine in Florida]
The state board members said the confusion in Florida likely stemmed from the way the law is laid out. However, the board said state law allows pharmacists to administer any vaccine that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
For the past month, News 6 viewers and readers have asked for help to find the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida.
News 6 reached out to several groups and companies looking for answers.
Calls and emails to the Florida Department of Health were not returned. No current information about the vaccine is on the Department of Health website.
CVS was already offering the COVID-19 vaccine with a doctor’s prescription or through MinuteClinic. A spokesperson for CVS says the company is working on making the vaccine more widely available.
Appointments can be found at certain CVS pharmacies by going to the CVS website.
A check of the Walgreens website shows there are now available appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida, which were not available as late as Monday.
A spokesperson for Walgreens confirmed the vaccine is now available in Florida without a prescription for adults 65 years or older, and people under 65 who are at higher risk for severe outcomes.
Publix says its pharmacists can now administer COVID-19 vaccines to people 18 years and older. Pharmacies should be able to take walk-ins now, while appointments will be available sometime on Tuesday.
Walmart does not have COVID-19 vaccines available for Florida on its website yet. A spokesperson told News 6 that they were working on getting an update.
A spokesperson for AdventHealth says its CentraCare urgent care clinics also do not distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, and never have. However, primary care providers can prescribe the vaccine.
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