"Walmart has opened up vaccination appointments to people under 65 who are deemed highly vulnerable to COVID-19, a group eager for the vaccine, but who had previously been largely unable to get doses in Florida as Gov. Ron DeSantis stressed a “seniors first” approach."
"Speaking this week in Jacksonville, DeSantis said he “absolutely” wanted to enable hospitals to vaccinate people younger than 65 who have comorbidities, such as cancer patients, but seemed to explicitly rule out retailers taking on that role.
“Really, it’s either got to be in a doctor’s office or in a hospital for that to be done,” he said. “I would hate to have a place like Publix, where someone comes in and they’re 35 and they say they have a comorbidity, and then Walmart or Publix has to referee that.”
But when Walmart began booking appointments on its own portal this week, it listed among eligible recipients, “Florida resident deemed to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by hospital providers.” It also lists Florida residents who are 65 and older, who live or work in a long term care facility and health care workers who provide direct care to patients.
Walmart representatives didn’t immediately comment on the company’s approach to administering the vaccine program."
When Walmart launched its COVID-19 vaccine appointment website Thursday, it included among those eligible in Florida people younger than 65 deemed highly vulnerable to the disease, many of whom had…
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